Ep 0.5 - Acid Storm's Lab - Open

[starscream]

There was another Seeker on the Nemesis making Starscream feel all the more confident. While Starscream had not heard Acid Strom say he would side with Starscream, he was sure Acid Strom would. He was a fellow Seeker after all. Starscream wanted to make sure the other was on his side however. He would talk to Acid Strom. The best place to this was in his lab. Starscream had learned from the past that was a great place to have a talk.

Walking down the corridor Starscream noted as usual not many were out and walking around this section of the Nemesis. He kept walking and soon come to the lab he wanted. Or make-shift-lab. The ranks of Decepticon Scientists grew as the Autobot numbers seemed to grow as well. Coming to the door Starscream walked in after opening the door. Looking around the room for a short time Starscream saw and focused on the Seeker.

“Acid Strom, how are you doing? I know you were given new research.” Looking around again Starscream focused on Acid Strom again. “How does it go?”

((ooc: Let me know if I need to change something. ^^))

[acidstorm]

((ooc: Looks fine.))

Acid Storm was working on the odd little canister that Shockwave had dropped into the Seeker's lap. It was by far the most interesting thing to happen this month, perhaps even Acid Storm's entire time on this Primus forsaken planet. He could open it easily enough, but right now he needed to know more about what it carried, Acid Storm was no Megatron when it came to testing. While brilliant the Decepticon leader had a nasty habit of taking extremely dangerous risks, such as getting bored and spiking himself with dark energon. Acid Storm was still trying to figure that one out.

As the scientist leaned in to run perhaps his four hundredth scan, he heard some bot's metal footsteps clang up behind him before he heard the voice of his oh so 'beloved' former wing commander. From what he could tell, what he had in front of him was a virus that would be able to kill even Acid Storm with his powerful firewalls and right behind him the very Seeker that had ordered him about for the majority of his time in the war and that same mech seemed to have something on his processor. At this point the virus was the friendliest thing in the room, including the other chemicals Acid Storm had stashed about.

"Everything was fine."

The past tense was quite plain in his tone as the green colored flier didn't even bother to turn about and face Starscream.

[starscream]

Hearing the “was” did not even shorten Starscream’s thought or actions in the least; he did wonder why everyone seemed to do that to him, saying “was”. (Of course things went better when he was around. Right? The answer is right by the way.) Starscream walking slowly around the green Seeker and the canister of which had Acid Storm’s attention. Starscream’s wings were shifting, his optics bright red all because of his curiosity.

It looked a lot like what Serotype used when she worked on her projects. Starscream wondered which virus, chemical, or what not was in it. On closer look however it was the virus Serotype had made for Megatron. Well how sweet of her to leave it.

“Acid Storm what are you working on?” Acid Storm would never have taken the canister. This meant someone gave it to him. But who and why did they give it to him. Well the why would be clear but the other one….not so much.

[acidstorm]

Acid Storm paused working long enough to close his poison green optics and wish he could answer his fellow Seeker with 'This is my sweet release from your prattle!' however the scientist remained as apathetic as ever. Instead he leaned back a bit, flicking his optics back open before upping up a small data pad for Starscream to read Acid Storm's full report.

"This is a virus liberated from Sterotype's botched attempt to wipe out her lab. Shockwave told me to begin my study of it and when I compared it's compound to the notes that the femme left behind I have determined it is a virus named Mark III in it's gas form, though it could be converted into a fluid substance with a little work. What this virus does is trick a Cybertronian body into thinking that energon and other vital fluids are some sort of invader and so it purges itself rather violently. From all indications it would be a most painful and slow way to meet the Allspark."

It was most likely not a good idea to tell Starscream all of this, but it would get him off Acid Storm's back for a bit as the Seeker skittered off to think of how he could steal and/or use it for himself. Not that the scientist cared, his job was to get this thing ready for safe use or find something else of worth to glean from studying it, Acid Storm didn't care about much passed that point.

[starscream]

It was a pleasure to hear Acid Storm tell Starscream so much without asking. Most times he had to ask, and ask to get anything. Starscream let the other Seeker talk as he scanned the data pad. It was very interesting and informative. More interesting was how Megatron was going to use this and would he still use it the same way. It seemed unlikely.

“Do you know how it will be used? Or how long till the virus shows.” Starscream waited a short time before asking more. “How does the virus spread? I would guess as in gas form in the air but….” Starscream let that hang and Acid Storm could finish it. And with less than a vent cycle there was another question. “Is there an antivirus?”

At this point Starscream waited for answers to far too many questions. But he took a few kliks to read the information Acid Strom had compiled in the data pad.

[acidstorm]

Acid Storm only looked up from the canister once, though he could swear he saw a gleam in the other Seeker's optics as Starscream read over the data. Once more he was hesitant about handing any of his hard won information over just like that, but perhaps if the mech understood just how deadly and uncontrollable it was, it wouldn't be dropped on Acid Storm's head any time soon.

"In it's gas state the virus just wafts into any open nook in a transformer and burrows it's way into you. After that it's only a matter of time. Any oxygen around the infected could also harbor the virus and judging by what I have figured out so far, it could take over this base in a matter of hours, if not sooner."

He didn't think any of this would slow Starscream at all, but for this next part Acid Storm straightened his back to stare directly at the former air commander, making sure that the flying rust bucket knew just what sort of fresh hell they were talking about.

"There is no antidote. You know the Decepticons, first destruction, then gloating and after that maybe they'll think about fixing a few things. Out of all of the bots on board only three might be able to live an hour longer then the rest. Those are Megatron, Shockwave and myself. Even working together the three of us would not be able to make an antidote before going off line and after this thing is weaponized I'll be whipping up an antivirus to make sure some moron done doesn't crack the canister over it's head and doom us all."

[starscream]

The only real show of hearing the Scientist was Starscream nodding his head; however one optic seemed to stay on the data pad for a little too long. “The virus is fast and deadly. Just like what a Decepticon would make.” Starscream said nothing about Acid Strom trying and make some big point about no antidote. Nothing new. And Starscream did fly the fastest. But why take a ship with on one to lead? Anyway that was not the point.

Starscream would have left it at that but one thing could not be left alone. Was Acid Strom not happy with the leadership of Megatron or just all Decepticons? How to tell? “No antidote? Well good thing Lord Megatron called you back to help the cause. We should be able to use this virus in no time thanks to you and his thought to bring you back to the main fight.”

[acidstorm]

The longer Acid Storm spent with Starscream the earlier he began to plan the creation of an antidote, the Seeker did not like the gleam in the other flier's optic. If nothing else he would have a prototype version for himself stashed away in case his paranoid reasoning was correct about Starscream. Of course he knew the mech fairly well, not that Starscream could say the same, Acid Storm was just another grunt under the other Seeker's command with several others. In fact Acid Storm would be shocked if Starscream remembered much about the lazy bot at all. In any case the fancy words that the mech was blathering seemed to be leading up to something, what Acid Storm could only guess at, but he was sure he wouldn't like it.

"I'm atwitter with excitement."

His reply was about as flat as it could be, steeped in annoyance and pure apathy as Acid Storm turned his optics back to the little canister that was the source of so much trouble. If it was up to the scientist, he would have just scanned it into the computer and then soaked the canister in acid, making sure it couldn't be used when Acid Storm was off doing some mindless chore or another. Of course none of that was up to the humble flier, those sorts of choices were in the servos of Shockwave and Megatron, neither were real big on getting rid of a super weapon for the sake of safety, even if Acid Storm could just recreate it at a later date.

[starscream]

The answer Acid Storm gave could have been better as well as more telling. Might as well try for a better answer. “I take it you do not care about Megatron’s approval? You are one of the few.”

Starscream was trying to remember more about Acid Storm, a Seeker, scientist, good at his work, not a troublesome mech to deal with, but try as hard as he would Starscream could not truly recall any thing of importance. It was like the Seeker did the best to stay out of the way. What a strange one.

[acidstorm]

"Not as rare as some bots seem to think."

Acid Storm once more gave a droll response as he continued to focus mostly on his work, and not the Seeker shaped scraplet that seemed hellbent on chewing away at his valuable processor time. If Acid Storm knew Starscream was going to take this long he would have at least packed the canister away, perhaps somewhere out of reach with one of those child-safety cap things he had heard a few humans blathering about on a local radio station.

[starscream]

At hearing Acid Storm’s words Starscream’s wings started to dance. “Really? Well the Decepticons will need a new leader. Someone high in the officers. That would make the change easy and fast. The best kind of change I would say.” Starscream let the green Seeker think on that. And would hope Starscream would come to his processor, why hope of course it would. He was the best choice after all.

“Have you any other projects? It seems a dull time to work on one project at a time.” Starscream again looked at the canister and back around the lab.

[acidstorm]

Acid Storm was tempted to state that if anything, Shockwave would be the next to be in command of the Decepticons, but why spoil Starscream's fun so early. The Seeker didn't like where this was going, however at most he expected that there would be quite a floor show when Starscream tried to pull off whatever in the world he was planning, should be quit entertaining.

"It's only one, but quite important."

Keeping his optics down the mech did not want to even look at his fellow flier at that moment. Before Sterotype blew up her lab, his main job was just glancing over her work and giving a second opinion on it, other then that he largely napped most of the time. Those were extremely good days. However now he was forced to do stuff once more, granted he liked working on such things, but it was still work and earned his ire in general.

[starscream]

The wings flicked and Starscream waved a servo. He was growing tired of the talking and wanted to fly as he had found out what Acid Storm was working on and left the idea of a new leader in the other Seeker’s processor. Sure he would think of Starscream as the new leader. “You having only one project would cause the results to be found faster.”

Starscream seemed to shake his wings again as if wanting to fly. “Keep up the good work Acid Storm I will be back to check on how you are doing.” Giving the lab one last look around Starscream headed out the door.

[acidstorm]

Acid Storm didn't even bother to grunt back at his fellow Seeker as Starscream left the scientist to be alone with his beloved silence.

((Short post. But I figured it would just wrap things up.))