[ti]Ep 3[/ti]Wide Open Spaces (Ended)

[Deleted]

Episode 3 - Week 2 - Day 3

= = = = = =
A lone motorcycle clocking in at about 70 miles per hour shot down the highway.

All black with flame airbrush art work, the cycle wasn’t necessarily drawing undue attention and looked no different from those employed by the Black Devils outlaw club or Jim, the Weekend Warrior from accounting. However, anyone traveling on the same road might question why was there no driver...Oversquare would need to fabricate the necessary program for a holo-representative so as not to freak out the local Humans.

Exhilarating! Absolutely Exhilarating!

There was nothing quite like the experience of freedom. The desert was wide open space, very unlike the cramped and metallic confines that had been Cybertron at one time.

It had been a long time since Oversquare had employed scanner technology to adopt a local configuration; she zipped along the highway, the new alternate mode performing quite well if she said so herself. In the meantime, it was a win win situation as she had a little fun fun tearing across the desert and trying out the new look. Time for some off-road! The cycle-mech altered course slightly and peeled off the highway with a squeal of rubber and a spraying of coarse sand.

Right then, now to the business of why she was on this mud ball. ++This is Oversquare, a former Cybertronian. I am located within the borders of the state designated as New Mexico. To any Autobots, I am responding to the transmission…..”++

[Jazz]

     Jazz was at the main atrium, checking out Miko's equipment she had been storing there. He'd heard stories that she played a sick guitar solo but he hadn't been able to hear it yet. It seemed when he was at base, she was out either doing the weird things that humans usually did such as school or 'family time' as they called it, or she was hanging out with whichever bot wanted to go for a cruise who let her tag along.

     One day he would get around to it, probably. For now he was just checking out the amp and the speaker system she had. To him it seemed pretty small, but perhaps by human standards it wasn't? They weren't planning on playing up a stadium so maybe this was all she needed? Maybe he'd ask about it, since... well.... it was valuable information, and he was more than happy to discuss music with anyone who wanted to sit down with it.

     He was interrupted from his thoughts, though he didn't pinpoint the offender immediately. It took pulling himself out of his thought process entirely and listening to realize it had been a transmission coming in that had bugged him. Standing upright and making his way to the console, he pressed a couple of the neon luminescent buttons that signaled the incoming transmission so he could respond back to it. After clearing his throat, he answered the channel.

     "This is Jazz tunin' in. I hear your call, but I didn't catch your full message. Please repeat with your designation and identification codes so I can properly welcome ya."

[Deleted]

++"This is Jazz tunin' in. I hear your call, but I didn't catch your full message. Please repeat with your designation and identification codes so I can properly welcome ya."++

Oversquare stopped abruptly and executed a kick-out, dirt and sand flying up and out in an arc. A native lizard scurried away from the commotion.

Great matrix. ID code and designation? Time had passed in many cycles since she had been required to introduce herself in military protocol-speak, also known as official bullslag; Merc companies tended to be lax with protocol if at all.

++Jazz, Oversquare; receiving you. Electronic  countermeasures formerly attached to Seeker Company Regulator, Specialist 2nd Class. Transmitting identification codes now.++

As the wayward femme-mech  awaited acknowledgment and further instruction, recordings of the war flashed across her main processor.

Cybertron. Oil and lubricant saturating the pavement plating. Explosions and Lazer fire. 

[Jazz]

"Thanks for the info, Oversquare. I'll run your codes and verify that ya are who ya say ya are."

Jazz did the usual routine without having to pay much mind to it. Everything was so repetitive these days with the arrivals coming in and they were so close together that the rust didn't settle on the usual protocol. While the scans ran, he vented to himself. He'd need to find someone to go out with probably in case there was an issue, though he didn't know who to pull in. Maybe doing this one alone would be fine. After all he was meeting up with...

... an Autobot. So technically it was two, right? Primus, he was getting old for this. He didn't mind greeting the newbies, but he was certainly not a fan of all the groundbridge travel.

"Got your codes acknowledged. Sendin' ya coordinates to a spot just outside of town well outside of nosy neighbors. I'll meet ya there in a few. Hang tight if ya arrive before me." He'd set up his visual scans on his arrival to retrieve her. He'd have to contact Red to see if the Security mech could do him a solid and at least open the door to let him back inside if he needed to do this on his own.

[Deleted]

++"Got your codes acknowledged. Sendin' ya coordinates to a spot just outside of town well outside of nosy neighbors. I'll meet ya there in a few. Hang tight if ya arrive before me."++

Oversquare processed the incoming coordinates for a few seconds, the longitude and latitude indicating the meeting area and the numbers converting over to her mapping programming.

With effort, the femme-mech figuratively pushed aside the memories of war and concentrated on the current objective. Now, let's get this show on the road!

++Jazz, Oversquare. Acknowledge coordinates and headin' out now. Thanks for the assistance, Lad.++

[Jazz]

"Not a problem. Send me a ping once you arrive so I can verify that ya got there safely then I'll make my way through."

Jazz didn't want to tell her that it would just be him coming through just in case there was an issue, and HOPEFULLY she wouldn't run into any trouble with a much less than welcoming party. From what the scanners told him, she was doing just fine... as long as she didn't get herself lost getting to the location he had sent her.

From here he could at least monitor that. Then it would be as simple as meeting up with her, getting a visual with her codes, then off they could go to home and be done with it.

That was the smooth sailing he was hoping for. Now he would wait, hope, and see.

[Deleted]

++Not a problem. Send me a ping once you arrive so I can verify that ya got there safely then I'll make my way through++

As Oversquare arrived at the designated site, the femme-mech was pleased to note the location was in fact out of range of prying locals; this would give her the chance to explore before contacting...well, her contact. 

Not that there was much out here besides sand, dirt, trash and what appeared to be a metal tomb? Or an escape pod of some sort?

It had been a few cycles since she had used her transformation skills; the switch from her alt-vehicle conveyance to mech form was a bit rough. Oversquare would likely become proficient again with time and practice. 

A rustle and faint yip from the direction of the refuse pile pricked at her audials; the plasma slinger was drawn and held at a low angle, ready to fire from the hip joint. 

A creature of fur scurried out of the refuse and ran away. Oversquares optics scanned the beast, sending the captured images directly to her processor.

= = coydog = =
= = canid = =
= = non-domesticated = =
= = low threat level = =

She reholstered the weapon and continued on to the structure. 

Metal. Oblong. Clearly in disrepair. A blunted digit traced the remnant - Airstream? - of language affixed to a side panel section. 

++Jazz, this is Oversquare reporting in. Arrived at coordinates++

With a nod to herself, Oversquare began to walk a small perimeter.

[Jazz]

     Jazz received the call that Oversquare had arrived at the destination. He pinpointed her location on their systems and plugged in the coordinates to the ground bridge. First, he had something else to do, or else the two of them would be getting to know each other on the open road. Not that it was too long of a drive, but it wouldn't be good to have someone new to Earth hanging around in whatever form they had without a proper briefing.

    "Gotcha, Oversquare. I'm on my way. Give me a couple kliks."

     He cleared his throat and sent a private come to the base's little homebody, waiting for the red and white mech to pick up before he'd start talking. :: Red? Jazz here. Mind doin' me a solid? I'm on my way to pick up a new arrival to Earth. Once I get them visually verified I'll be radioin' in to bring us home. I've got the coordinates plugged in already so all I'll need ya to do is beam us home. ::

     Jazz activated the ground bridge to the location and waited for the green portal to fully load up before he'd then step through...

     Though on the other side, he stood there watching her walking around and tilted his helm in confusion. Was she bored already? Did she see something that interested her? He didn't think he had taken that long to get here, unless she'd been here for a while already and just delayed calling in.

     When the portal closed behind him he cleared his throat and finally chimed up. "Yo! I'm Jazz, you're radio connection to the other side. Ya just got me today cause the rest of the folks are off, but it means we gotta be quick. Sorry if I'm botherin' ya while you're enjoyin' this fine weather we're havin' this evenin', but ya know how it goes. Can't linger here for too long, cause as quiet as the place is, the locals do have a knack for buttin' their noses in where they don't belong."

     All the while talking he was scanning her for the usual- visual confirmation to her file and the like. If she had any injuries he'd have to direct her to Ratchet. He didn't see anything amiss and no red flags came up on the files that he could see. Things checked out. He just had to make sure.

     "Any damage or did ya have a soft landin'?"

[Deleted]

The femme-mech had completed one perimter cycle by the time the groundbridge had delivered Jazz. 

The flash of color alerted Oversquare that she was no longer alone. With curiosity overwhelming the need for paranoia, she approached the arrival.

"Any damage or did ya have a soft landin'?"

Oversquare waved at Jazz in greeting. The former mercenary approached her escort, servo-digit resting loose on the plasma slinger affixed to her thigh. The canvas tarp she wore as a crude poncho fluttered in the wind.

"I've sustained minor damage; nothing that can't be handled by a Medical corpsbot."

Out of habit, Oversquare glanced around to ensure no surprises were incoming. 

"Thank you for the retrieval. Jazz, was it? I know these times are uncertain. I'm pleased to make your aquantance."

[Jazz]

"Yup! Ya got the name right. Don't wear it out or you'll have to buy me a new one." He looked around the area to check out if anything seemed out of place or if he could pick up on things that may have been amiss. Everything seemed to check out.

As for the femme? Visually she checked out with the profile attached to her Identification code, and it didn't seem she was using any maskers that would have altered her appearance. No disturbances. No interferrence. Things seemed to be int he green, and now? Now they just needed to get the heck outta dodge. He was out here on his own with a green who he didn't know the level of combat experience she had. If something happened they very well could be sitting ducks for MECH.

If they were spotted they would be sitting ducks for Fowler. 

"Yeah, times are really sketchy right now, but we'll give ya the full debrief when we arrive back to base. Red Alert's probably gonna be able to give ya the full story if ya wanna sit around and listen to that for the next twenty cycles, but it's about as in-depth as ya can get for detail work. For now, it's a hi, how-do-ya-do, and lets go home."

While talking he was sending a comm back to Red Alert to get him to pull up the groundbridge so they could actually do just that. :: Red, I got a passenger. Mind bringin' us home? Let Medical know she's got some minor fixin' up that's needed. Already informed her to hit ya up for the run down of the security measures we got in place.::

[Deleted]

"Yeah, times are really sketchy right now, but we'll give ya the full debrief when we arrive back to base."

Oversquares optics had widened slightly at theHello, how are you and we must go go go!

"Understood, Jazz. Protocols and procedures can't exactly account for all things hinky. Do what you gotta do."

...takin' on a new job was all well and good, but what exactly was she getting herself into? She pushed the stray thought wave off into a back section of her processor matrix to dwell on at a later time.

::Red, I got a passenger. Mind bringin' us home? Let Medical know she's got some minor fixin' up that's needed. Already informed her to hit ya up for the run down of the security measures we got in place.::

As Jazz made the communications contact, the femme-mech moved into position to protect his back panels. The gesture wasn't out of a sense of camaraderie, the movement came more from the sense of duty pounded into her from time spent with the Decepticons and later traveling with one galactic rat pack to the next.

Jazz was her ride and it wouldn't do for him to get popped on her watch, now would it?

[Jazz]

( Hand wave ground bridge opening confirmed and cleared with Red's player )

After the brief back and forth with Red which the Security Chief cleared their arrival back home, Jazz disconnected the comm with the other mech and waited for the ground bridge to come. He looked over his shoulder to Oversquare as she scouted the area. Not that he couldn't do it himself, but he wouldn't say anything. Some soldiers just did that out of habit and he wouldn't fault her for that.

When the ground bridge opened, Jazz cleared his throat to get her attention. "This is your one-way ticket home. Everyone step lightly and mind the last step! It's a rough one." Then he turned and made his way through, in which the ground bridge would then close once she was inside and take them back to Omega base.