Prompt #6 setting + challenge
Title: Chapter twenty-one of For a Few Upgrades More
Warnings/content advice: creepy, hovering Vok
Rating: Pg-13
Continuity: Transformers Animated
Characters: Lockdown, Slipstream, Soundwave, with supporting Laserbeak and Ratbat. This chapter: Swindle
Disclaimer: Transformers belongs to Hasbro et al, not to me
Prompt: #6 (combine setting and challenge type prompts) setting 25 May 2013 "uncomfortable place at dawn". challenge: 19 Jan 2013 (combine two other prompts) image 30 July 2011 (mosaic star photo) + song Led Zeppelin - Kashmir. So uncomfortable + dawn + weird starscape + Zeppelin = visit to Nexus Zero.
If it were up to Slipstream, they'd leave and forget Swindle. But Lockdown had succumbed to the promise of a preview of the dealer's latest haul. And, the fact that he should have been on his way to prison with two of her brothers had Slipstream's attention.
She watched Lockdown drop down from the airlock onto the fog-shrouded surface, tires thudding onto cyberformed substrate, which matched the look of the distant - but just alien - buildings. He strutted off as if he weren't nervous at all.
Slipstream wasn't so sure about this place. She'd never been to Nexus Zero; it was her first trip away from Earth, after all. She only had basic pre-installed data. Robotic world, near the galactic core, and the only place in Vok territory that others were permitted to visit. She knew less about Vok, except they were supposed to be weird energy beings.
Swindle "guaranteed" they were nice creatures.
Slipstream finally stepped from the airlock. She almost fired thrusters to make a slow decent, but she wasn't quite sure what composed the fog or whether thruster fire could ignite it. She landed a bit awkwardly, weight more on her left leg than her right, but nothing was damaged.
"You gonna take all solar cycle?" Lockdown called back.
Slipstream clutched at the edge of her cape, then ran forward, heels click-clacking, to meet Lockdown.
Not that she needed him, or anyone to protect her. She was a Decepticon Sub-Commander. Still this place was very otherly. The planet was just turning their location toward the local star, and there was a glow on the horizon, but being so close to the core, with its density of stars, there were already bright points of light illuminating their way. That was normal enough: Stars.
The weird thing was that there were points of light in the fog. It created an optical illusion in which the horizon was lost in some directions. She could imagine Seekers crashing to the surface when attempting to navigate by dead reckoning.
"Have you met Vok?" Slipstream asked. Casual, right. She sounded casual and not like some youngbot cloned yesterday, right?
"Yeah. Interesting critters." Lockdown consulted a holo projection on his gauntlet then altered their direction. Slipstream could see a structure ahead through the starlit fog.
Slipstream stooped and lowered her talons into a fog bank; she watched the vapor swirl around her digits in chaotic curls and eddies. She quickened her steps to catch-up, again, as she lifted her hand to her mouth to test the moisture's composition.
Not flammable. That was useful. Still, the stuff could be Vok excrement for all she knew. Slipstream wasn't sure how energy beings worked. She imagined they were like sparks without shells.
And, some of those points of light along the horizon were growing larger and brighter, like distant luminaries moving closer. Radar sweeps were pointless, if they didn't reflect the waves. Soundwave had said the planet wasn't "quiet", as it seemed, but "loud with inaudible signals". He'd seemed quite content with guard duty.
A voice called out, "Hello, Friends! Come take a seat. The energon here is top shelf!" Swindle. Slipstream didn't actually know him, but Starscream had. They climbed a short flight of steps, which again, were difficult to see in the foggy ground cover.
Swindle was seated at what seemed an outdoor cafe table. Slipstream could see the establishment across the open plaza. "How is my favorite customer?" Swindle asked, as Lockdown dropped into a seat."
"Feeling good," Lockdown answered, "Did a full overhaul, disassembled everything, switched out a few mods, lubed all the joints." He rolled his neck as if to demonstrate. "So, you want off this rock or not? 'Cause I told ya, I got bounties to collect."
"Patience, my bounty-hunting friend," Swindle said. "I've only just started my meal. Can't fault a bot for wanting some fuel after being stasis and mode-locked so long."
"So, how did you escape?" Slipstream asked, standing still, with arms folded in front of her cockpit.
"Interesting story, that, which I'll be happy to tell." Swindle smiled up at Slipstream, clearly assessing her with his curious, purple optical lenses. "Since when did you have your own Starscream clone?"
"Trix-"
Slipstream cut-off Lockdown. "What Lockdown means to say is that I'm not with him, we just happen to be traveling with each other."
Lockdown shifted in his seat and Slipstream noted his sidewise glance. OK, so they were together in some ways, but it wasn't like a serious thing or anything Swindle needed to know. She lightly kicked his foot.
"Shame." Swindle cocked his head and Slipstream thought she heard a faint cha-ching sound. "A few Starscream clones could really be an asset."
"Like the two who should have been in transit with you?"
"Right. The one with the helmet and the other one." Swindle made some gestures around his head, which Slipstream didn't fully understand. Ramjet and Sunstorm should have been identical in build. "Ah! I have something for you. Free of charge, one time only!"
Swindle opened a compartment in his chest, and began pulling out wares. There was a weapon, some round thing, a bottle containing liquid, a crown, and then he paused, a helmet in one hand and a pair of spectacles in the other. He seemed to consider before saying, "Lady's choice."
Slipstream started to reach for the specs, because she didn't have any, but then, she didn't need any. The helmet was attractive and unlike the one Starscream wore, a little out of fashion with how angular and pointy it was.
"Let me tell you about the Prysmosian 3X Googlespecs," Swindle went into a practiced pitch, "built-in datanet connectivity, wireless sync to all your personal devices, but that's not all! Guaranteed shatter, scratch and impact resistant may melt in the atmosphere of gas giants."
Slipstream took the helmet, then stepped away to try it for size. When she turned back, Lockdown was holding the specs at arm's length, as if trying to see what Slipstream would look like wearing them.
He lowered his hand then turned his head away, but Slipstream could still hear most of the words, "...take...my tab."
"Oh, do I see more customers?" Swindle asked brightly.
Slipstream spun around and saw the glowing forms rise up from the fog. So, these had to be Vok. They sorta glowed and floated and when near resolved into the shapes of faces. Or heads? They were different.
"More Cybertronians." Slipstream wasn't sure she was seeing them right. One looked like a skullish thing with small teeth and some horns. The other one was skullish, but had bigger teeth and was also kinda dragonish.
"Hi?"
"Colloquial greeting," Skull said.
"Non-universal," Dragon said.
"Merchant is always welcome," Skull went on, while Dragon floated around Slipstream as if trying to view her from all sides. "A hunter. Not seeking quarry here?"
"Not here," Lockdown said quickly.
"What is it?" Slipstream flinched, Dragon was so close to her. "It carries artifacts."
"I'm not some 'it', not a thing!"
"We must plan to improve translation protocols."
"A good plan." Dragon agreed. Slipstream could hear Lockdown chuckling at the scene, but these Vok clearly lacked the concept of personal space. "What is your pronoun of preference?"
"I don't mind 'she'," That was how she always said it on Earth.
Dragon's entire glowing figure moved, like the floating head was nodding. "Mechological differences as gender analogues."
"Blue breasted. Hip-span."
"Thinks outside the box," Dragon seemed to correct Skull.
"Whatever," Slipstream twisted to avoid contact, "I just am. Do Vok usually move all close together?"
"Cybertronian shells require physical space. Shells cannot merge without phase technology."
"Did I hear someone say 'phase technology'?" Swindle asked. "I just so happen to know a supplier of Phase Displacement Armor!"
Slipstream was relived to have the Vok go hover over Swindle and finally took a seat at the table. She found Lockdown was watching her, as if amused, and did her best to ignore him. She took a rust stick from Swindle's platter and popped one end in her mouth. She grabbed the weapon he had on the table, next. "What!?"
"You even know how to use a melee weapon?"
She shrugged.
"Could show you."
"Bet you could." She quipped, "Practice meditation one cycle and suddenly you're taking students?" She and Soundwave had seen that.
Just as suddenly, Slipstream had Swindle's interest, "Would you believe the S1w gunblade sells for the low, low price of 960 credits? Combination assault rifle and double-edged blade, favored by stalkers, infiltrators and spec-ops, for those times when a gun just isn't enough."
"Does it come in violet?"
"Does it come in violet? Tell you what! I'll make you a deal! Same low price, and I'll throw in Electronic Paint so you can alter weapon color!"
"Sure." Slipstream was sure she had some of Starscream's accounts in memory.
Warnings/content advice: creepy, hovering Vok
Rating: Pg-13
Continuity: Transformers Animated
Characters: Lockdown, Slipstream, Soundwave, with supporting Laserbeak and Ratbat. This chapter: Swindle
Disclaimer: Transformers belongs to Hasbro et al, not to me
Prompt: #6 (combine setting and challenge type prompts) setting 25 May 2013 "uncomfortable place at dawn". challenge: 19 Jan 2013 (combine two other prompts) image 30 July 2011 (mosaic star photo) + song Led Zeppelin - Kashmir. So uncomfortable + dawn + weird starscape + Zeppelin = visit to Nexus Zero.
If it were up to Slipstream, they'd leave and forget Swindle. But Lockdown had succumbed to the promise of a preview of the dealer's latest haul. And, the fact that he should have been on his way to prison with two of her brothers had Slipstream's attention.
She watched Lockdown drop down from the airlock onto the fog-shrouded surface, tires thudding onto cyberformed substrate, which matched the look of the distant - but just alien - buildings. He strutted off as if he weren't nervous at all.
Slipstream wasn't so sure about this place. She'd never been to Nexus Zero; it was her first trip away from Earth, after all. She only had basic pre-installed data. Robotic world, near the galactic core, and the only place in Vok territory that others were permitted to visit. She knew less about Vok, except they were supposed to be weird energy beings.
Swindle "guaranteed" they were nice creatures.
Slipstream finally stepped from the airlock. She almost fired thrusters to make a slow decent, but she wasn't quite sure what composed the fog or whether thruster fire could ignite it. She landed a bit awkwardly, weight more on her left leg than her right, but nothing was damaged.
"You gonna take all solar cycle?" Lockdown called back.
Slipstream clutched at the edge of her cape, then ran forward, heels click-clacking, to meet Lockdown.
Not that she needed him, or anyone to protect her. She was a Decepticon Sub-Commander. Still this place was very otherly. The planet was just turning their location toward the local star, and there was a glow on the horizon, but being so close to the core, with its density of stars, there were already bright points of light illuminating their way. That was normal enough: Stars.
The weird thing was that there were points of light in the fog. It created an optical illusion in which the horizon was lost in some directions. She could imagine Seekers crashing to the surface when attempting to navigate by dead reckoning.
"Have you met Vok?" Slipstream asked. Casual, right. She sounded casual and not like some youngbot cloned yesterday, right?
"Yeah. Interesting critters." Lockdown consulted a holo projection on his gauntlet then altered their direction. Slipstream could see a structure ahead through the starlit fog.
Slipstream stooped and lowered her talons into a fog bank; she watched the vapor swirl around her digits in chaotic curls and eddies. She quickened her steps to catch-up, again, as she lifted her hand to her mouth to test the moisture's composition.
Not flammable. That was useful. Still, the stuff could be Vok excrement for all she knew. Slipstream wasn't sure how energy beings worked. She imagined they were like sparks without shells.
And, some of those points of light along the horizon were growing larger and brighter, like distant luminaries moving closer. Radar sweeps were pointless, if they didn't reflect the waves. Soundwave had said the planet wasn't "quiet", as it seemed, but "loud with inaudible signals". He'd seemed quite content with guard duty.
A voice called out, "Hello, Friends! Come take a seat. The energon here is top shelf!" Swindle. Slipstream didn't actually know him, but Starscream had. They climbed a short flight of steps, which again, were difficult to see in the foggy ground cover.
Swindle was seated at what seemed an outdoor cafe table. Slipstream could see the establishment across the open plaza. "How is my favorite customer?" Swindle asked, as Lockdown dropped into a seat."
"Feeling good," Lockdown answered, "Did a full overhaul, disassembled everything, switched out a few mods, lubed all the joints." He rolled his neck as if to demonstrate. "So, you want off this rock or not? 'Cause I told ya, I got bounties to collect."
"Patience, my bounty-hunting friend," Swindle said. "I've only just started my meal. Can't fault a bot for wanting some fuel after being stasis and mode-locked so long."
"So, how did you escape?" Slipstream asked, standing still, with arms folded in front of her cockpit.
"Interesting story, that, which I'll be happy to tell." Swindle smiled up at Slipstream, clearly assessing her with his curious, purple optical lenses. "Since when did you have your own Starscream clone?"
"Trix-"
Slipstream cut-off Lockdown. "What Lockdown means to say is that I'm not with him, we just happen to be traveling with each other."
Lockdown shifted in his seat and Slipstream noted his sidewise glance. OK, so they were together in some ways, but it wasn't like a serious thing or anything Swindle needed to know. She lightly kicked his foot.
"Shame." Swindle cocked his head and Slipstream thought she heard a faint cha-ching sound. "A few Starscream clones could really be an asset."
"Like the two who should have been in transit with you?"
"Right. The one with the helmet and the other one." Swindle made some gestures around his head, which Slipstream didn't fully understand. Ramjet and Sunstorm should have been identical in build. "Ah! I have something for you. Free of charge, one time only!"
Swindle opened a compartment in his chest, and began pulling out wares. There was a weapon, some round thing, a bottle containing liquid, a crown, and then he paused, a helmet in one hand and a pair of spectacles in the other. He seemed to consider before saying, "Lady's choice."
Slipstream started to reach for the specs, because she didn't have any, but then, she didn't need any. The helmet was attractive and unlike the one Starscream wore, a little out of fashion with how angular and pointy it was.
"Let me tell you about the Prysmosian 3X Googlespecs," Swindle went into a practiced pitch, "built-in datanet connectivity, wireless sync to all your personal devices, but that's not all! Guaranteed shatter, scratch and impact resistant may melt in the atmosphere of gas giants."
Slipstream took the helmet, then stepped away to try it for size. When she turned back, Lockdown was holding the specs at arm's length, as if trying to see what Slipstream would look like wearing them.
He lowered his hand then turned his head away, but Slipstream could still hear most of the words, "...take...my tab."
"Oh, do I see more customers?" Swindle asked brightly.
Slipstream spun around and saw the glowing forms rise up from the fog. So, these had to be Vok. They sorta glowed and floated and when near resolved into the shapes of faces. Or heads? They were different.
"More Cybertronians." Slipstream wasn't sure she was seeing them right. One looked like a skullish thing with small teeth and some horns. The other one was skullish, but had bigger teeth and was also kinda dragonish.
"Hi?"
"Colloquial greeting," Skull said.
"Non-universal," Dragon said.
"Merchant is always welcome," Skull went on, while Dragon floated around Slipstream as if trying to view her from all sides. "A hunter. Not seeking quarry here?"
"Not here," Lockdown said quickly.
"What is it?" Slipstream flinched, Dragon was so close to her. "It carries artifacts."
"I'm not some 'it', not a thing!"
"We must plan to improve translation protocols."
"A good plan." Dragon agreed. Slipstream could hear Lockdown chuckling at the scene, but these Vok clearly lacked the concept of personal space. "What is your pronoun of preference?"
"I don't mind 'she'," That was how she always said it on Earth.
Dragon's entire glowing figure moved, like the floating head was nodding. "Mechological differences as gender analogues."
"Blue breasted. Hip-span."
"Thinks outside the box," Dragon seemed to correct Skull.
"Whatever," Slipstream twisted to avoid contact, "I just am. Do Vok usually move all close together?"
"Cybertronian shells require physical space. Shells cannot merge without phase technology."
"Did I hear someone say 'phase technology'?" Swindle asked. "I just so happen to know a supplier of Phase Displacement Armor!"
Slipstream was relived to have the Vok go hover over Swindle and finally took a seat at the table. She found Lockdown was watching her, as if amused, and did her best to ignore him. She took a rust stick from Swindle's platter and popped one end in her mouth. She grabbed the weapon he had on the table, next. "What!?"
"You even know how to use a melee weapon?"
She shrugged.
"Could show you."
"Bet you could." She quipped, "Practice meditation one cycle and suddenly you're taking students?" She and Soundwave had seen that.
Just as suddenly, Slipstream had Swindle's interest, "Would you believe the S1w gunblade sells for the low, low price of 960 credits? Combination assault rifle and double-edged blade, favored by stalkers, infiltrators and spec-ops, for those times when a gun just isn't enough."
"Does it come in violet?"
"Does it come in violet? Tell you what! I'll make you a deal! Same low price, and I'll throw in Electronic Paint so you can alter weapon color!"
"Sure." Slipstream was sure she had some of Starscream's accounts in memory.