[ti]Ep 3[/ti]From Out of Nowhere (Closed)
Oct 2, 2020 0:30:12 GMT -5
Post by Pyrotech on Oct 2, 2020 0:30:12 GMT -5
Week 3, Day 3 - Early morning
(Pyrotech, Dart, Knock Out, Placebo, and Thundercracker)
The wind had picked up early this morning, and pulled along with it dark, heavy sheets of grey drizzle.
After a long stretch without rain, the ground around this rocky section of Steens Mountain was hardpacked and dry. When droplets struck the powdery tan soil, it puffed up and then fell back into tiny pockmarks. Some areas were quickly becoming saturated though; the water was coming down faster than it could be absorbed.
Here and there it collected into deep puddles, but mostly it was starting to turn into treacherous, slippery footing- a gloopy, gloppy layer of thick red mud.
Standing in a dry spot under an overhang among the tall, jagged stones, Pyrotech glanced over the miserable landscape. His dark hand lifted to rub thoughtfully at his pale, narrow jaw.
Beads of moisture flecked across the glossy red mech's finish, coalescing into perfect silver droplets on his well-cared for plating. When he brought his arm back down, it was with a neat, fussy flick of his fingers that dispelled some of the water, as if he were a fastidious cat who had picked his way through sodden grass.
If it continued to rain like this, by next week most of the packed-dirt roads would become impassable. The mud would come up and mire any vehicle that was silly enough to try to drive on it.
Which was not entirely a bad thing.
Although they were in a remote section of the mountains, there were still humans about. They seemed to try and put themselves out in the most unhospitable places possible. Pyrotech didn't appreciate that. When they had first arrived here, he'd set patrols for weeks and watched the patterns, mapped out the places he'd seen any numbers of them go to, or camp at.
He had made sure that this outpost was in a place rarely passed by, and that it was not on a hiking trail or some filthy little hole that declared itself a scenic by-route on this even filthier planet.
Still, once or twice during the first rains of the season, some human idiot thought they could drive up on a road in one of their big trucks. Immediately, the slop would pull no punches and sink them right down to the axles. Often it would require multiple people and other trucks to get them out.
It had happened to new recruits and Vehicons as well. They learned.
None of them had sunk down slowly into the dirt of despair and deactivated, anyway. Not yet.
Pyrotech looked out over the rugged hills once more, a frown settling across his lips. Off to his left and out in the rain, the slim frame of the courier immediately shifted. Water sluiced off her in filthy trickles, but didn't even attempt to budge the pattern of spattered mud on her legs and shins. Dart fidgeted slightly, and then immediately stilled, clasping her hands tighter behind her back.
Without a word, she lifted her nose into the wind and sniffed warily; he had ordered her to stay on guard since they were waiting here for the others he'd told Starscream he needed for this mission.
The medic, for his surgery skills and his speed. A new arrival, skilled in psychological warfare. The flier, a soldier and also a recent re-joiner of the Decepticons here on Earth.
Two of these mechs Pyrotech needed if they were to get the objective taken care of efficiently. The third?
That one was useful of course, but more of hmm, a favor.
Keep an eye on him for me...
A simple mention in passing as they were discussing a hundred other things that needed to get resolved around the base. Offhand. Casually. That was the way those sorts of things were brought up, of course.
Way back when they'd come with a good stem of high-grade and a much better view than Pyrotech enjoyed right now.
Hopefully it wouldn't be long before they all arrived, the summons had gone with a firm time indicated, and the orders had been directly from Commander Starscream. That was certainly more likely to get the mechs reporting here in a hurry compared to a call from the base architect.
Pyrotech truly appreciated punctuality, and the time window he knew to be available was fairly small.
They should be here soon, and then he could call to Soundwave and have him open the portal to where they needed to go...
(Pyrotech, Dart, Knock Out, Placebo, and Thundercracker)
The wind had picked up early this morning, and pulled along with it dark, heavy sheets of grey drizzle.
After a long stretch without rain, the ground around this rocky section of Steens Mountain was hardpacked and dry. When droplets struck the powdery tan soil, it puffed up and then fell back into tiny pockmarks. Some areas were quickly becoming saturated though; the water was coming down faster than it could be absorbed.
Here and there it collected into deep puddles, but mostly it was starting to turn into treacherous, slippery footing- a gloopy, gloppy layer of thick red mud.
Standing in a dry spot under an overhang among the tall, jagged stones, Pyrotech glanced over the miserable landscape. His dark hand lifted to rub thoughtfully at his pale, narrow jaw.
Beads of moisture flecked across the glossy red mech's finish, coalescing into perfect silver droplets on his well-cared for plating. When he brought his arm back down, it was with a neat, fussy flick of his fingers that dispelled some of the water, as if he were a fastidious cat who had picked his way through sodden grass.
If it continued to rain like this, by next week most of the packed-dirt roads would become impassable. The mud would come up and mire any vehicle that was silly enough to try to drive on it.
Which was not entirely a bad thing.
Although they were in a remote section of the mountains, there were still humans about. They seemed to try and put themselves out in the most unhospitable places possible. Pyrotech didn't appreciate that. When they had first arrived here, he'd set patrols for weeks and watched the patterns, mapped out the places he'd seen any numbers of them go to, or camp at.
He had made sure that this outpost was in a place rarely passed by, and that it was not on a hiking trail or some filthy little hole that declared itself a scenic by-route on this even filthier planet.
Still, once or twice during the first rains of the season, some human idiot thought they could drive up on a road in one of their big trucks. Immediately, the slop would pull no punches and sink them right down to the axles. Often it would require multiple people and other trucks to get them out.
It had happened to new recruits and Vehicons as well. They learned.
None of them had sunk down slowly into the dirt of despair and deactivated, anyway. Not yet.
Pyrotech looked out over the rugged hills once more, a frown settling across his lips. Off to his left and out in the rain, the slim frame of the courier immediately shifted. Water sluiced off her in filthy trickles, but didn't even attempt to budge the pattern of spattered mud on her legs and shins. Dart fidgeted slightly, and then immediately stilled, clasping her hands tighter behind her back.
Without a word, she lifted her nose into the wind and sniffed warily; he had ordered her to stay on guard since they were waiting here for the others he'd told Starscream he needed for this mission.
The medic, for his surgery skills and his speed. A new arrival, skilled in psychological warfare. The flier, a soldier and also a recent re-joiner of the Decepticons here on Earth.
Two of these mechs Pyrotech needed if they were to get the objective taken care of efficiently. The third?
That one was useful of course, but more of hmm, a favor.
Keep an eye on him for me...
A simple mention in passing as they were discussing a hundred other things that needed to get resolved around the base. Offhand. Casually. That was the way those sorts of things were brought up, of course.
Way back when they'd come with a good stem of high-grade and a much better view than Pyrotech enjoyed right now.
Hopefully it wouldn't be long before they all arrived, the summons had gone with a firm time indicated, and the orders had been directly from Commander Starscream. That was certainly more likely to get the mechs reporting here in a hurry compared to a call from the base architect.
Pyrotech truly appreciated punctuality, and the time window he knew to be available was fairly small.
They should be here soon, and then he could call to Soundwave and have him open the portal to where they needed to go...