0004: NEW ARRIVAL BRIEFING

[crux_npcs]

Who: New Arrivals, Graham Baker
Where: Briefing Room
When: Late afternoon, Februaro 30th
Warnings: None

When awakening, you'll find the area you're in to be very busy. The people in the medical ward are polite and understanding, but firmly refuse to answer questions until the briefing. The same goes for the robots in the hangars. Either given hospital outfits resembling very comfortable pajamas, drone bodies, or their own bodies, they are escorted by polite, unyielding people in red and black uniforms to the briefing room.

The Briefing room is large. Not enough to accommodate a Cybertronian, but spacious enough for several dozen people. The chairs are high-backed and well-cushioned, more like comforting eggs floating a foot or so off the ground than anything else. A half completed, but still functional, holographic display is settled into the floor, showing a slowly rotating pyramid.

A few Security personnel, dressed in their red and black uniforms, stand at ease in the rooms in strategic areas. They seem fairly relaxed. One man stands at the head. Graham Baker, a middle-aged man, showing the first signs of balding and wearing a rumpled business suit perhaps a size too large, nervously clasps his hands together and smiles.

[Questions to the NPCs will go in the briefing thread. The rest of the post is there for people to mill about and do whatever with. The mods will not be doing hangar/medical awakenings unless it's specifically asked for.]

Comments

[law_and_order]

"Ah," Jonathan said -- obviously the answer was 'no', in which case he should probably avoid arousing suspicion as much as possible.

He bowed courteously to the stranger. "Please excuse me. It appears I am more lost than I thought. I am one of the recent arrivals, you see, and I'm afraid I am yet a stranger to this place."

[havethewill]

There are some women who truly believe their mouth is a passkey to any situation, any prize. Chloe Frazer is such a woman. And while he can respect such guile, she is only as useful to him as she is trustworthy.

"And how long before you betray me this time, hmm?" He snarls, teeth flashing under his lip.

[totallytrustworthy]

He's not the sort she's loyal to.

But even with immeasurable contempt fixed firmly in the back of her neatly trapped throat, she's not careless enough to throw her life away over it. For someone that's witnessed firsthand the sort of damage he's capable of, heroism and honor are things best left to those that can afford them. And her pockets are currently empty.

"Who would I betray you for?" Not as eloquent as she might otherwise manage, fingers dug into skin to the point of drawing blood, but it gets the point across: no one else is here. No one worth protecting, anyway. His breath is all the air she can steal when she manages to inhale-- sharply-- in the split-second shifting of the muscles of his arm.

Re: Arcee | Transformers Prime | Post-Briefing

[law_and_order]

What was this? A mystic relic, running all by itself? To whence was it going. And to what purpose?

Jonathan reached out to touch the motorcycle with a tentative hand. It seemed to have a sort of... saddle? Perhaps this was the Unclean Ones' version of a horse, then?

"Er, whoa there," Jonathan said, trying to pat it awkwardly at the spot he thought its head might be if it were an actual horse.

[havethewill]

Obviously he cannot believe a word she says while her life is threatened. But he can taste the fear on her breath, feel it fluttering under his palm cinched tight against her carotid artery. As long as she believes there will be consequences for crossing Lazarevic, she belongs to him. It's a weak leash to put on her, but it is something. It means he has a another piece on the board. Particularly appealing when killing her here and now will jeopardize his freedom.

His grip lets up, enough for her to breathe naturally. But he is still very much in her space, pinning her to the wall with the force of his presence. Then his gaze slides sideways to the gun.

"Put it away. Unless, of course, you find you suddenly have the stomach to use it."

[sickbays]

McCoy stops in his tracks and shoots a glare in Deadlock's direction. He falters for a moment, his scowl slipping from his lips when his gaze lands on the other, when he realizes exactly who is talking to him. A robot of some sort? Not like it mattered, honestly. McCoy's used to talking to a robot, if you want to lump Spock into that category. McCoy does, and for good reason.

But at least this guy has more going for him in the personality department. That's a point in his favor, for now.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't be," he grumbles back.

[strawberry_science]

Well, isn't he a polite one. She gives him a curious once-over. "You can't measure being lost in anything but absolutes," Yumemi said, sounding exasperated in that thought reminding her of her own losses.

"It seems to be better to expect any equipment we own to still be back where we last were. Or maybe they were lost in transit to this place. Either way, you never answered my question. What does this reactor of yours actually do?"

[totallytrustworthy]

She steals a few spare seconds on the rush of blood, the aching satisfaction of oxygen coursing along bruised passageways before withdrawing the muzzle of her gun. Before she drops the only physical insurance she has with more than a little reluctance.

He's still too close for even the barest semblance of comfort.

"Happy?"

[havethewill]

It is not insurance. But for now, he'll grant her that illusion.

"I expect you to keep your mouth shut." He takes his hand from her neck entirely, setting it instead against the wall just above her head. "You will not speak unless spoken to. You will not jump" Lazarevic drops his chin, looks her as near eye-to-eye as their contrasting heights allow "until I say 'jump'."

[robotfightclub]

There's a surprisingly long pause, mostly due to her not knowing what to say. She even opens her mouth a few times, as if about to start, but stops herself before anything comes out.

After a few of those, she finally throws her hands in the air and turns around.

"Nope."

[robotfightclub]

Well that was certainly not what she was expecting, especially out of a human. They were usually really good about running away from the possessed looking motorcycle. He's gutsy, she'll give him that much, but there's only so many "woah there"s she can take before snapping. And that's zero.

She transforms back on the spot, crouching down so she can get as close to his level as possible. The disapproval is practically radiating off of her.

"Did anyone tell you it's not nice to put your hands on a lady?"

[driftlock]

Listen, squishy, if Deadlock could think of a reason not to be frowny, he'd probably not be frowny himself.

Right. He'll try, because that's just how much craft Deadlock puts into his jerkitude. "You just got here. You still don't know how fragged up this place is." There. SUCCESS.

[totallytrustworthy]

"Fine." It's neither pleasant nor supplicating, isn't intended to be if only because-- good as she is at playing bit parts-- her temper's far from willing to die out. She misses, against reason, the buffer that was Harry Flynn taking the brunt of Lazarevic's ire.

"Anything else I need to know or are you planning on spending the rest of this afternoon staring me down?"

[sickbays]

"Believe me, pal, I may be a new arrival but I'm not stranger to the grievances of space travel."

That's mostly why he's so pissed off. He gets pulled from one world to another and nothings changed. He's still confined to a glorified tin can out in the far reaches of space.

[driftlock]

"Maybe you find war a bit more of a 'grievance'." Because fraggit, you will be impressed by large angry space robot, you. He's starting to worry that he's losing his touch.

Fraggin' Autobots.

[havethewill]

"I will be spending my afternoon getting my bearings. You," Lazarevic's other hand has moved from his side, snaking between them to free the knife from its sheath on his chest and tucking its tip up under her chin before she's a chance to recognize the impending threat. "I imagine you will be seeking medical attention."

He pushes the blade from the tip of her chin down the line of her jaw, looping back behind her ear and grazing her earlobe in the process. There isn't a lot of pressure, and the damage is superficial. But oh, she bleeds.

[law_and_order]

"Gracious!" Suddenly, the relic had become some sort of glowering mechanical creature. Or perhaps this was its true form? Such would not be out of the ordinary for a demon, after all... but a 'lady'?

"My apologies; it seems this is a case of mistaken identity," he said, clearly still unnerved. "But perhaps this is a fortuitous meeting. I find myself without my usual coterie of companions. Might I convince you to -- "

The gauntlet on his arm made a beeping sound, then began to speak in a female voice. "Master. I'm afraid this isn't a demon."

[totallytrustworthy]

"--shit--" The sting doesn't hit till after her skin registers wet heat running down towards the angled edge of her collarbone, but she hisses all the same, recently freed hand clamping down across that expanding crimson line. It isn't possible to shrink back any farther than what little space she's already been afforded; Chloe attempts it anyway, hard glare still fixed firmly in his direction. "Was that really necessary?"

[law_and_order]

Duplicity did not sit well with Jonathan, and yet the truth was not something that he could entrust to someone he'd just met. Since she had decided to push the issue, he decided instead on a third choice.

"Please, pay it no more mind. Your answer tells me that it is not here, and that is all that matters. I suppose I should devote myself in the meantime to following Mr. Baker's advice."

[crux_npcs]

"They're still stars. They're just so much more than beautiful decorations in the skies." He looked down at something, then back up at Jonathan. "We'll be passing near one in a few days, if you'd like to see."

Graham nodded firmly. "I'm sorry, but yes. And while we have terminals, I doubt that they're the kind you mean. I'm so sorry."

[totallytrustworthy]

And in his milling about he crosses the smooth metallic threshold Chloe Frazer's trying to get through for the sake of returning to the same medical ward they'd all recently vacated. Hand at her neck, dark hair over that, it's almost easy enough to ignore the ruddy crimson stain marring the underside of her jaw. Seeping down into the fabric of her shirt.

Whatever, not as if nicks and scrapes are a foreign affair in space.

"Just behind you, coming through."

[strawberry_science]

She won't forget her curiosity that easily, but it didn't really matter that much. Yumemi is much more interested in their current surroundings, so anyone that just comes off as an ordinary human to her on the outside won't capture her attention as much.

"Advice? It was apparent to me that he means for us to deal with the situation however is most acceptable for us, and least inconvenient for the fleet." That sounded kind of harsh, but she wasn't done. "...At least there isn't any obvious resentment."

[havethewill]

"Yes. And it will be again each and every time you step a toe out of line." Despite the warning, he doubts the lesson will last. This woman is incorrigible.

He flips the knife over in his hand and wipes the blade on his sleeve before putting it away. And then he straightens and stands back from the wall, relaxing the tension between them like a muscle.

“I will have resources. Weapons first, and barring that, raw materials to construct them. Locate a supplier. I require funds or I require items of value for barter. I need the names of men who will work.” Lazarevic puts his back to her as he moves to lift his gun off the floor.

“You have four hours to prepare your first report.”

[law_and_order]

At least she dropped the subject when asked, and that was good enough for Jonathan.

"Resentment? On whose part?"

[law_and_order]

"Thank you for you apology," said Jonathan (who still didn't really get it, lbr). He gave Graham an earnest smile.

"But you did nothing wrong. You were merely trying to protect your home. It is unfortunate that things did not go as planned, of course. But if there is any way I might assist you in speeding along the process of our return, please let me know."