01 [Voice]

[fracturefall]

[Here’s an unpleasant sound for you: a grating, metallic voice in full ululation of Pure Rage. Somewhere between a roar and a shriek.His panicked EM fields have activated the voice comm.]

SHOW YOURSELF!!

[Barricade is…not happy.   Last he knew he was recharging in some fraggin’ highway cut-off, after yet another day of uselessness, another comm

Comments

[chopshopgoddess]

[Oh, great. Just when Mikaela thought life on the boat could NOT get any worse, this happens. Granted, she got on well enough with Frenzy after butting heads several times, but...

Well, whatever. She goes for politeness.]

You're on the MS Elegante. It's a boat, heading to a place called the Golden Shore. You were brought here by the captain.

[fracturefall]

[Well, this one was an unwelcome match on his Known Voc Ident. The one who had chopped up Frenzy.]

[He is instantly suspicious of her Nice. Still, she was...way more helpful than anyone else had been. And could be moreso.]

Okay, get why I'm here. [Not exactly Primus's Golden Child, are we?] Why are you?

[Is this some sort of damnation? Locked in forever with Ironhide and the squishy who hurt his partner?]

[chopshopgoddess]

[He's not exactly on her list of 'awesome people to have on board' list either, but she's made an effort to keep the fighting to a minimum so far...might as well keep it up.

Besides, being a bitch to him served no purpose other than a great way to get herself killed, maimed, or mauled.]

They say we're chosen. For what and why, I dunno. I don't think anyone does.

You can't leave, either. If you try to jump ship, you'll die, then wake up in your room again in a day. Doesn't work.

[fracturefall]

So...we're here because there's no way we can NOT be here, huh?

Sounds...typically human. [Oh the delicious contempt in his voice. He really can't help it, though. He's a little torqued that she read his mind about escape. Still...answered that question without having to ask it. ]

Chosen? Great. Guess how well the last mission I was chosen for worked out. [Bitter? Barricade?]

So...you've been here longer than me? Does that make you...more chosen? [Not sure why that seems important, but he's trying to piece things together.]

[chopshopgoddess]

Uh, right. They say our homes are gone. Destroyed. [It's all really convoluted. She doesn't like getting into it much.]

I dunno if this has anything to do with missions.

[She gives a muffled snort.]

No, it doesn't. It just means we've been pulled from different times. I'd be willing to bet you don't know anything about Egypt, do you? [She doesn't remember seeing him there.]

[fracturefall]

[He tries--and probably fails abjectly--to not let his reaction show. It's like a physical blow. ]

De...stroyed. [Gone. All gone. Lost. And you've been...here. Nowhere. Cybertron? Gone.]

[He hates having to ask this question. But....]

Are there any others--Decepticons, I mean--here?

[Egypt? Primus. What? They came back? They came back and never told him? Admitting this is about as close to admitting failure he can come without slaggin' losing it.]

Frag you. You're lying. Egypt? Nothing happened in Egypt!

[That's 'Why no, Mikaela, I don't know anything about Egypt' in Barricade-ese]

[chopshopgoddess]

There were. They seem to come and go, and they're from different universes sometimes.

[She scowls, though he can't see it.]

If you're going to be that polite, I'm not telling you anything else.

[fracturefall]

[Have you no sympathy for how hard he is trying? ;__;]

[Whuh? Frag. This is either...insanity or...okay, insanity. Either they're trying to drive you insane or you're already insane. Seems to all come back to that common denominator. Awesome.]

[Hiss of strain]

Look. Just saying. Don't know anything about Egypt. Explain! NOW.

[chopshopgoddess]

[Mikaela gives a noise that's full of indignant frustration.]

Egypt. Big, hot place, where the energon harvestor ended up. You know, where you guys all tried to blow up our sun? While you were still on the planet?

[fracturefall]

[Why you want to make Barricade cry like that, yo?]

It wasn't while I was there. It couldn't have been. 'D've picked up something. SOMETHING. Arrival pings. Mission commnet.

[Realizes a bit too late he's spilling his frantic aloud.]

[He debates accusing her of lying, but...she mentioned an energon harvester. She couldn't make that up. Not smart enough. He growls, mostly frustrated at himself.]

You said different timelines.

[chopshopgoddess]

[cause you insult her intelligence B|]

...Calm down.

[She doesn't like growlings - when bots growl, it's never good. She's heard Ironhide do it enough.

Exactly - like I said...we're probably from different times.

[fracturefall]

[All humans are inferior. Wait. That's Soundwave's gig. Never mind. :P]

Hey, uh...little tip: Two worst words you can say to someone, 'calm down'.

[Sad state of affairs for both parties when HE is giving interpersonal advice to a HUMAN.]

So. What do we...do while we're here?

[He can hardly await what glamorous assignment comes next. Luggage boy for the two largest egos in the 'con army? Check. What's next on the list? And how can I subvert it.]

[chopshopgoddess]

Is 'stop growling at me' better?[There's the distinct noise of a shrug.]

Walk around. Explore. You can't fight, or you'll wind up in the brig. Can't kill anyone either, same deal, and you'll get humiliated to boot.

[fracturefall]

[I hear your shrug and raise you a squinty look]

At least it's to the point.

[What follows is in the top ten Most Begrudging Things Barricade has had to say in recent memory.]

Wasn't...at you. Whole fraggin' situation. Sucks. If what you're saying is right.

[He files the rules away for his 'things to goad Ironhide into doing' shell that he just opened.]

How do we not get bored to death here? Beyond that we're already slaggin' dead?

[chopshopgoddess]

I'll make a point to be more direct with you from now on, then.

[Mikaela lifts a brow at her device. Was that some kind of APOLOGY?]

Well...just recently there was a whole storm of really bad things going on. I'm sure you probably would have loved it, but usually, the boats like...this. With the occasional holiday or party.

[fracturefall]

[Holiday? Party? Yeah, this was some kind of hell. Forced social interaction = awesome. :/]

Direct is good. Less chance of an...unfortunate misunderstanding.

[Yeah, kind of an implied threat--he's feeling threatened and lost and his default social-skill is 'resort to threat'. Hey, it would totally have worked on Ladiesman.]

How do you know my arrival isn't part of the Storm of Bad Things, huh?