[ti]Ep 2.5[/ti]I'll never die when I'm dead [ Closed || Knock Out ]

[Deleted]

Timeline: Week 2 || Day 6
Summary: Within the midst of the chaos of their downed vessel and the scramble to collect whatever equipment they can from the crash site, Shockwave has done as he usually does- holed himself up in  a secluded part of Blackridge Hold with one task at hand...

And all the kids cried out, 

"Please stop, you're scaring me" 

I can't help this awful energy 

Goddamn right, you should be scared of me 

Who is in control?
- Halsey

---

     Shockwave had made more out of much less, a notorious feat of his that he was duly noted for. This new obstacle had been anything but 'new' for him and hardly strenuous for him at all. The main issue he had was trying to find his own corner of this temporary home where no one would disturb his current workings. Whilst building a surrounding comfortable enough for him to at least do the minimal acceptable, he was busying himself with a much more important role. 

     The others regarded it as a plague- a germ that had spread to at least two of their known associates with the possibility of more. Shockwave had both created and stopped plagues on his own before for different reasons, but this? This was different. It didn't have the typical construct of a plague that spread without much effort. To him, this bug was much more... parasitic. At least, that's what logic told him.The means of spreading seemed to be restricted, as he had been in close contact with the sample brought to him by Knock Out and hadn't been infected himself. A plague would have been much more widespread at this point with its victim going through several system failures and possible offline. This one appeared to take control and tap into systems that were otherwise inaccessible- overriding ones own manners.

     Shockwave only had speculation at this point outside of the inability for it to spread simply through airborne means as of now. The true nature he didn't know for a fact yet, and his plethora of possible test subjects had been cut off to him now that the truce was in effect. How disappointing, since this would have been the perfect time to have such a willing subject at hand.

     This role was proving to be both fascinating, and frustrating. 

[Knock Out]

Any calm and deep concentration that Shockwave found himself within would be interrupted by the sound of a single knock on the door. Then, a few seconds later - as if whoever it was was hesitating somewhat? Another, harder knock.

Knock Out had been standing out here for… a while. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to discuss things with Shockwave to try to find some more clues as to what this virus was that’d plagued them - because he did! Any clue, especially from the brilliant mind of such a renowned scientist? Well, it wouldn’t surprise him if Shockwave had this thing all worked out down to the tiniest detail already! They had a cure thanks to Sparkplug that seemed to be holding, but Shockwave he was sure could take it to the next level - and then some. To talk to someone of such intellect was humbling and yet so refreshing at the same time - and he knew damn well he’d be able to keep up with the discussion and not have to dumb down his words into simpler phrases so others could understand.

But oof, now he was standing here outside the door, he found himself feeling actually quite… scared? Shockwave was an amazing scientist, but his methods were sometimes rather unethical. And those were the ones Knock Out knew aboutt. Rumors swirled around the Scientist of things he’d done, experiments he’d carried out, each more terrifying than the last - and Knock Out had given him some new unknown piece of this puzzle that to him didn’t look like much but Primus only knew where Shockwave had taken it.

He hadn’t seen nor heard from the Scientist since he’d first handed over the mysterious items, and as much as he’d like to ignore the fact he should probably check in - just for medical purposes and for his own logs - he’d delayed it until he could no longer do so. Starscream had been asking for updates, and he was certain the slim Seeker hadn’t asked Shockwave - or the scientist would’ve been in contact by now.

So it was up to Knock Out to follow up.

He’d half a mind to send Breakdown but this was one of those conversations that he had to have himself.

“Shockwave? It’s me.” he spoke clearly so that hopefully the other mech could hear him from inside his makeshift laboratory. He wasn’t sure what equipment had been salvaged from the Nemesis, or if Shockwave would even let him inside the room - but hey, time to find out!

[Deleted]

     Once upon a time this would have been unacceptable. He would have done what need be to rid their kind of such a threat- reel it in and bring it under control and contain it until a cure could be found. Within reason and justification he would have worked tirelessly to find a cure and end it, merely to save their race and all those he could.

     Once upon a time Shockwave would have cared. But this was not that once upon a time, and if he had it his way, it would never be again.

     Finding the root cause and a means to an end of this threat was not out of caring for his fellow Cybertronians, but rather out of vague necessity. This was merely a new fascination, something that Shockwave could focus his attentions on while he waited for the truce to fall apart so as not to lose his mind with the strain of having his servos tied.

     Each one of them played a factor in this game- from the Vehicons, to Starscream, to Shockwave himself. For that reason, he did what he could to try and figure out this little annoyance and spare who he could. Though, if some perished along the way? Merely meant there were more subjects to study without having to hear about pushing the trigger that disrupted the very core of this meaningless truce.

     Shockwave had been dissecting what he had received from Knock Out, taking each layer and cutting away piece by piece, chiseling away at the secrets it held. He studied the reation to various exposures, from high heat to cold to electric pulses. He wanted to see what both slowed down and sped up the means of which it spread.

     He had been able to isolate some key factors in it, but there were still some links in the chain missing. Shockwave needed more samples- a much more fresh one than the almost comical scrap he had been previously given. Perhaps if he exposed one of the Vehicons to this sample and managed to infect them? A live subject would have been much more valuable than what he had to work with now.

     A tap. A knock. A lengthy pause. Shockwave didn't turn away from his desk where he was working, as though expecting whoever was on the other side to merely come walking in. He thought that Starscream had come to call, to see if there was any progress being made. That was the only one foolish enough to dare step foot before Shockwave had responded, as even Lord Megatron would announce his presence before entering ( as he had been at the receiving end of an experiment lose within the lab at one point and afterwards had never done that again ), and none of the new arrivals were so bold. Reputiation was everything within the ranks.

     Or just fear. Whichever worked to ones advantage.

     In the case of the one who spoke, he figured it to be the later. He knew Knock Out would never enter unless the door was opened for him, which Shockwave figured was due to the otherwise prickly mech not wanting to touch anything he felt may have been contaminated by lowly servos. He turned from his work bench and made his way to the door, silently opening it so he could look down at the bright red mech before him. The silent, comptuing stare made only more intimidating by the lack of visual cues.

"Enter."

     Then a turn, and he made his way back towards the table. That was as close to an invitation inside as Knock Out would ever get.

[Knock Out]

There was an awkward moment of lingering silence after he spoke, made all the worse by the fact he didn’t exactly want to be here. On the Nemesis, there would be the ambient hum of the ship to help drown out the silence. But here? Nothing.

If Shockwave had found something out about the mystery objects, he would’ve reported it by now - and Knock Out had relayed as such to Starscream when tasked to go find out information, but of course the Seeker wasn’t taking no for an answer. Any update would be useful, even if it was the news that Shockwave hadn’t worked anything out yet.

Why Starscream couldn’t come down here himself and find out… Grr - then again, running the Decepticons was probably a lot of work. Not that he’d seen much of Starscream at all in the past few days - he’d been suspiciously absent, keeping to his quarters with the occasional gloat about how well things were going right now when he made his way to the Medical Bay for the occasional checkup.

If Vehicons getting injured more often in the mines could be counted as going well, sure. Energon production was up, but… there didn’t seem to be much else going on. At least that Knock Out could tell. Then again, he wouldn’t know.

A gentle shift of his weight. He wondered how long he should wait before knocking again, or even just giving up and going back to his own Medical Bay. He’d tried, right? That was the main thing. He’d summoned the courage to walk down here and well, if Shockwave was too busy to see him then that wasn’t his problem-

The door opened.

Slag.

Instantly he stared upwards, looking right into that single optic. He hadn’t expected Shockwave to personally greet him, and he faltered a moment as the other mech spoke a single word, before turning and making his way back into the room.

Uuuuh.

Maybe the fact he was being invited in meant that Shockwave had found something out? Maybe?

Straightening himself without being too tense, he’d - after a split second of hesitation - follow the Scientist into the room. Using his elbow, he’d nudge the door closed behind himself, before making his way further forward.

“I assume you know why I’m here? Lord Starscream has requested updates on the uh… the things.”

He tried to keep his attention on Shockwave, but his gaze couldn’t help but wander - looking around the room, trying to work out at a glance what the Scientist was up to in here.

[Deleted]

     The Scientist returned to his table and gathered up the datapad, his sharp talon digits tapping on the screen. There was little that phased him these days, and as much as he hated being disturbed when he was in the middle of something, he had grown accustomed to it since joining up with the Nemesis. Now, he expected it to be even more so.

     The fear and discomfort was still there, but they still came. The younger of they kind were less aware of him, and the old guard had mostly died out so the impact of his presence was not nearly as great as it had been when he first... converted. Perhaps he was losing his touch. 

     Or perhaps they just needed a reminder.

     There was no immediate response to Knock Out when the mech spoke, just the rhythmic tapping of his claws while he finished up what he had been doing before he'd been interrupted by the mech who now invaded this space. Knock Out may have hoped to find some grandiose experiments happening, with vials organized across flat surfaces and chambers lining the walls- but there would be none. Comparatively, it was barren, as if he hadn't been working on anything at all. 

     The tools that were out, however, hinted that he'd been... messing with something not visible to the medic.

     Finally, the chamber echoed with the resonating base cord of the Scientist. "I am quite aware. Starscream lacks the capacity for patience." An unusual pause. Irritation. Slight, but it was there, deeply embedded within his monotone vocals. A shun towards their new 'Lord' through lack of titling him as such, and jabbing at his impudence. 

     Shockwave didn't need to be the optics and audials of the Decepticons to know what was happening around him. Megatron usually left him be when there was something needed to be done since he knew that the moment Shockwave had news that it would be personally delivered. Starscream, however.... he sent others in his place, hoping they would receive the backlash if they bothered him at the inopportune moment.

     Or if he happened to need a body.

     He turned his attention back to the slide, and his optic flickered slightly, as did one of the spiny protrusions on his helm. 

[Knock Out]

Had Shockwave even heard him speak?

Surely he must have. The room aside from some general ambient noise was fairly quiet. While Blackridge didn’t have quite the sound dampening that the Nemesis had (in his opinion) it was still quiet enough to concentrate and get some work done.

He wouldn’t speak again, not wanting to risk annoying Shockwave more than he probably had by his mere presence - taking this moment of awkward silence to continue peering around, although what he saw wasn’t very exciting all things considered.

He’d been half-expecting tubes with dismembered Vehicons or some other oddly grotesque things that’d keep him lying awake at night. But there was nothing of the sort. The room was practically barren, and while this was a relief, it was a little disappointing as well.

There were tools out, which was to be expected. What the tools had been used for though, he couldn’t say. Everything was so neat, tidy - nothing out of place, nothing seemed to be half worked on. No mangled remains nor splatters of Energon. No cause for alarm.

At least, not out in the open.

He was so used to the quiet that when Shockwave did speak, he flinched - not quite expecting it. His attention shifting immediately from the tools to the Scientist, straightening his frame.

A low, throaty hum as he mulled over his next choice of words. With certain mechs he knew to behave and not resort to sass or crass - and Shockwave was definitely one of them. There was no lingering pause, not letting the Scientist wait long for a response.

“Ah, yes, doesn’t he just.” a nervous chuckle “Although, given the uncertainty of what those mystery items were- uh, are, I too am curious if you have found anything out about them. From a medical standpoint, anyway - just in case they grow back in the patients of which they were retrieved.”

He was rambling a bit. It couldn’t be helped. He was nervous.