Ep1.5 Back, Burner (closed)

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::Backdraft:: came the voice over the comms. One of the Eradicons playing messenger, if Backdraft had to guess. ::A bridge is being opened at your location. Return to the Nemesis immediately.::

About fraggin' time! Not that it wasn't positively tickling to his ego that, when he'd first come to Earth, Lord Megatron had seen a useful intelligence in Backdraft's processor, much overlooked due greatly in part to his coarse manners and honestly glitched patterns of speech. But as much as Backdraft appreciated being treated as a specialist for his knowledge of demolitions and how to help expand the all-important energon mines without them exploding, it'd been far, far too long since he'd been able to do what he loved most in his existence -- blow stuff up.

The ground-bridge opened up conveniently in the mineshaft, and Backdraft charged right through it, intending to have a few choice words with Starscream about under-utilizing the master kaboomerator.

Oh, he'd almost forgotten the tank-swooping thrill of blustering through a ground-bridge. Oh, finally, back in business! He sped through the glowing tunnel and set pede down on the solid deck floor of the Nemesis, much darker than the glow-lit energon mines. He stumbled around the bridge a little, optics adjusting to the change in lighting.

"Now lis'n 'ere y'glitch-wi-uh..." Backdraft trailed off, vocalizer humming a bit longer than necessary. Because that was not the backstabby Seeker Backdraft assumed he'd be seeing. No, no, the huge frame, imposing stature, and spiked, articulated armor plates could only belong to one mech and that mech was not Starscream.

"Oh. M'Lord Megatron. Sorry, 'spected Starscream t'be callin' me back. News don' get out t'the mines real good." Backdraft bowed enough to be vaguely respectful, not enough to kiss aft like he perhaps should have, given that he'd nearly finished calling Megatron a glitch-wit, all intentions aside. Straightening back up, the fire-loving bruiser tapped a pede against the floor of the Nemesis, trying to remember what he should be asking. Oh, right. "Somethin' y'need kaboomed, Lord Megatron? Or, uh, y'need somethin' else?"


((OOC: If anyone told Backdraft anything about the shifts in management, he probably wasn't listening. Also, if the ground-bridge isn't located at the bridge of the Nemesis, I apologize now for my directionally-challengedness.))

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<<OOC: No worries on the groundbridge front! Gonna chalk it up to efficiency.>>

Ever efficient in his Lord's bidding, Soundwave had 'bridged the rough labour mech straight to the command bridge following Megatron's summons. The warlord looked to his communication's expert at the news that the end of Starscream's latest stint as commanding officer of the Decepticon faction hadn't been fully disseminated amongst the rank and file.

"Starscream's tenure in command was, as always, temporary," Megatron remarked, optics narrowing though his tone was mild. "Though you would do well to remember that even when he is not leading the Decepticons in my absence, Commander Starscream is still your ranking officer. I will attribute your insubordination in this instance to your extended stay off-ship across our mining operations."

That dealt with, Megatron turned fractionally towards his centrally placed console, the movement an unspoken order for the mech to approach. On-screen, details of the Energon lost during the Autobot raid, current consumption for repairs and mecha pulling triple shifts to complete the work, and predicted fuel use whilst the Nemesis was restored were tallied against the outputs of the planetside mines. The difference was a lot smaller than was comfortable.

Starscream, in his Lord's absence, had done precisely nothing about it.

"Our current Energon expenditure is high, and if the Autobots were to stage another large-scale assault within the next orn, our resources would be inadequate to compensate." Megatron watched Backdraft study the scrolling data, this personal meeting rather than a standard comm. relay imparting the seriousness of the situation.

Since both factions had been on Earth, the chances of an offensive attack from Team Prime were small. The Autobots here did not have the mech-power nor the resources to take on the Nemesis and Megatron's army. However, with the recent spate of arrivals adding both presence and firepower to Optimus's ranks, the Autobots had become bolder - culminating in a raid on the warship.

Megatron had spent time reflecting on this recent wave of assertive aggression in the Prime, his behaviour towards his processor-locked self in the DMZ only a joor ago in particular. Optimus had become far less reticent to fight, harder in resolve and dangerously unpredictable. Though another attack in the near future was unlikely, Megatron had no intention of giving the Autobots the benefit of the doubt.

"It is time to begin a new excavation." A powerful talon keyed up a map, zooming in on a remote cluster of volanic islands in the Pacific. Megatron tapped the largest, a submenu of data immediately unfurling. "Readings suggest that an energon vein has been exposed by tectonic activity, and excavation is to begin immediately."

Beginning a new mining operation was no small task, but Megatron could see no alternative but to invest the time and resources.

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"M'pologies, m'Lord," Backdraft mumbled as Megatron chastised him, surprisingly gentle for a mech of Megatron's infamous temper. But the Decepticon leader was right, more or less. Backdraft had been away far, far too long, and it made him just itchy enough to say Stupid Things.

Backdraft would probably do well to remember to keep his mouth in check. He wasn't going to be ignored every time he fragged up and insulted the wrong mech, especially superiors.

The information on-screen seemed...off-balance. Backdraft was no math-lover, but even he could see the uncomfortably vast difference between mine output and energon usage. Why, at that rate, repairs on the Nemesis would lock up and stop...wait, repairs?

"Aw frag, th'Bots got th'nerve t'fight here? I coulda used th'exercise." Backdraft twitched, more than a little disappointed he'd missed what appeared to have been an epic fight. But he caught the disappointment and back-processored it for later. No time for rhetorical whining over missed fights. They needed a new mine.

Megatron brought up the map and Backdraft briefly felt another stab of disappointment. More mine duty. But then he saw where, exactly, his lord was pointing out for the new mine.

Volcanos! Backdraft had always wanted to see volcanos. He'd heard they were hot enough to warp the air, and the flowing streams of melted rock sounded right pretty, they did. This was going to be like a working vacation.

Except...hold on a moment.

Energon was a highly volatile sort of substance. Pretty easy to blow up and lose if not handled correctly. Didn't do so well with heat for just that reason. And...there was a vein of it sitting more or less in a cluster of volcanos. Active or dormant, not important. Because energon mines only ever went in one direction, that direction being down, so they'd find some extra heat regardless of volcanic status.

"I get we need a new mine," Backdraft started, slowly, picking his words uncharacteristically carefully. "But...nah, better question. We got any 'Cons what alt-mode to water tender? 'Cause we're gonna need a water tender. 'S gonna be more important n'usual to make sure th'tools don' throw sparks r'get hot r'nothin'. Jus' think we need t'hold off on that immediately 'til we gotta plan, else th'mine...ain't gonna be much help t'ya."

He'd seen a mine blow like that, once. Drill got too hot grinding against the rocks around the energon, blade sparking against the stone...and kaboom.

Risk for that was more than double in any proximity to potential volcanic activity. Not that Backdraft particularly wanted to contradict Megatron, but going in like it was a normal operation wasn't going to help anyone.

Fun as explosions were, sometimes even Backdraft had to admit it was better for things not to go boom. He started compiling a list in his processor of things they'd need for the new mine. Water and coolant, the good drills, an escape plan if things went pear-shaped...all the good stuff.

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Overheating machinery in confined areas, limited cooling abilities, and webs of volatile fuel lacing both was a situation Megatron was quite familiar with. Usually the hazard occurred when a mining shaft had tunneled too close to one of the massive moving parts within their living world, radiant heat making the energon glow with both allure and warning. Too dangerous to keep the drills in operation, so the miners would excavate by hand instead. Raw crystals pried out in clumps, hot and sharp with potential energy, passed back to be transported up the shaft. Hard, but safer.

They did not have the mechpower for such an operation as that, however, and this was not an intention to strip out the energon they could reach before the point of operation limits. This was a new mine, with dangers from the very surface downwards.

There was unreachable energon at the poles of this planet (reserves, in Megatron's mind, in case they were still here fighting by the time the ice melted enough to get at the reservoirs), and fuel left in their current operations. This, however, was the next highest-yielding source their sensors had detected, and not to be overlooked. If they could get at it.

"None innately suited for the task," Megatron replied, shifting his gaze from the screen down to the shorter mech. "And you are right to value the preservation of the energon over the expediency of its use. However, that does not mean that we can afford to wait until an entirely safe method of procuring it has been devised."

The And that is now your sole task was quite implicit.

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"A'right, alw's liked me a good challenge," Backdraft muttered, processor running at top speed over how to make sure a new mining operation in such conditions wouldn't blow ahead of schedule.

Water and coolant sprayed directly on the drills as they worked, or directly on whatever tools the workers were using, would prevent sparks and possibly overheating. And...this was not the sort of task Backdraft could undertake on his own. Balancing expedience with caution was one of his skills, but he'd never locked the proverbial horns (as he'd heard said on this planet) with a challenge of this extreme.

"Jus' a few more things, a'fore I go on abou' tamin' th'mine." Dangerous territory, probably, but necessary questions nonetheless. "One, we got anybot good fer any o'this slag? Two, what 'quipmen' we got a'board? I'll happ'ly skip off'n get onnit, but I jus' gotta know what'm workin' with."

It had been a comparatively long time, at least in this planet's reckoning, since Backdraft had even been on board the Nemesis. He'd once had a fairly good idea of the available equipment and resources. But with long absence, numerous mining operations since his deployment, and an apparent Autobot raid pulling the ship into chaos, well. It was an excellent time to catch up on a few things.


((OOC: Most of Backdraft's inane questions are actually me asking where this is gonna go and who else, if anyone, is going to get tagged in on wrestling energon from volcanic ground. Although he'd like to know too. Backdraft's always good for a solid headslap if he's being too inane, however. ^^;[as am I, for that matter]))

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Megatron smiled faintly, finding it pleasently ironic that the first mech to come to mind was also the last mech he sent to a volcano (an active one, at that) on an energon-related mission. With a talon-tip, he collapsed the screen and transmitted the contents and related files to the mech beside him.

"Breakdown has been the primary liaison with the Eradicons in our active mining operations, coordinating excavation and transport in addition to the distribution and maintenance of equipment. You will work together to establish a working operation on this island."

The warlord transmitted as such to the former-Wrecker, along with a timestamp one breem from now for a processor-storming session.

As an afterthough, he C.C.ed Downforce into the message as well. The mech worked well with the Eradicons, and it was time that his skillset was expanded.

"Unfortunately the drilling equipment already in use planetside is everything the Nemesis carries suitable for mining, though I will see to it that resources are allocated to you if, between the three of you, other means are concocted."

Megatron took his right pede a half step back, the twist of his body revealing Soundwave's hunched figure to Backdraft. "I shall also be assigning Downforce to assist in reconnaissance of the site and devising a means of extracting the energon. He has a... gift, for divergent thinking. Both have been ordered to meet you to begin."

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Not alone. Relief flooded Backdraft's processor, knowing he'd have others helping him and, if all else failed, to share the blame with if things went kablooey ahead of schedule. Because, well. Because of reasons, and that was about as deeply as Backdraft was going to look into things.

Introspection, boring. New assignment, much more interesting. Also, terrifying in all honesty. Energon mining was usually a boring level of dangerous, but this? When literally everything had maximum probability of going wrong? Backdraft didn't spook easy but this was one of the few things that could make him a little antsy. Not just the threat of exploding with the mine if it came to that, but the threat of surviving that just to have to report his failings to his superiors. Which, no, he'd rather not, if at all possible.

So...Breakdown and Downforce, yeah? Backdraft couldn't recall ever having worked with either, but they both had reputations. He was fairly certain he could work with them. If they, ah, could put up with him. Backdraft knew he wasn't easy to work with sometimes. Easy-going and fairly cheerful, but also difficult to listen to and too easily distracted by the pretty fire for some mechs to tolerate. It remained to be seen, then.

"A'right. S'pose I sh'd get t'talkin' with'm abou' things. Eh, ah, when'n where? I'd look ri'stupid if I's late r'lost r'someodd."


((OOC: Backdraft, sweetspark, you already look stupid every time you open your mouth and speak. Anyhow, it seems like the poor mechs assigned to work with this headache got the timestamp and meeting place, but.))

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"I was coming to that."

Megatron's expression remained entirely neutral, parsing through the meanings of the associated glyphs rather than the heavily accented words in Backdraft's reply. He forwarded on the message Breakdown and Backdraft had received, as well the scheduling amendment added to the wardroom a bare klik ago.

"For now, this is the primary task for yourself, Breakdown and Downforce," the Decepticon Commander went on, intending for the duties placed upon the three mechs to be crystal clear before they were left to work. "You will have access to the drones and Eradicons of Shift 3 for any manual labour required, and free access to resources required for the means of extracting the energon. I will deal with Ratbat and the allocations so that you may work undisturbed."

Megatron looked back to the screen and flicked a claw to switch it back to rolling glyphs. System reports from across the Nemesis, tracking repairs of ship and crew alike. "Any questions?"