AUGUST PLOT: A LOVELY TRIP TO PLANET 10952.EG.K

[luminals]

Arrival on EG.K is non-eventful; one will find themselves about a five minute walk away from the closest village on a very flat planet. The purple and turquoise grass waves in the near-constant warm breeze under a rosy pink sky, and while the sun seems far too close to the planet for comfort, the semi-cloudy nature of the planet means one can see far into the distance without squinting constantly.

EG.K is currently a delightful 23.9 degrees in Universal Standard Temperature, dipping down to 15.5 UST at night. Visitors to the planet can expect clear skies and no rain or storms for the week. Occasional winds up 50 MPH are present, but not constant.

Make friends with the locals, take a swim in a lake, actually do whatever it is you came here to begin with - whatever it is, enjoy your week on this charming and uneventful planet!

Comments

[sorrynotguilty]

Megatron remains a silent observer to a degree. Some habits of his are harder to curb than others. Watching how people interact with each other to understand them better is one of those. A monster Megatron might consider himself to a certain point, but knowing people is just a thing that comes naturally after spending some time with them.

"It's building suspense as well," he adds, somewhat casually. "I'd expect Rodimus to use a phrase like that - it says a bit but also nothing at the same time."

At least with Megatron his dramatics are backed up with actions, unlike his dear co-captain. Never mind that though, time to move onto more serious affairs. So back to Wing.

"So what did you find?"

[knightoflight]

Wing can't help but pick up a sort of judgmental vibe from Megatron--being compared to Rodimus didn't sound like a good thing.

He feels, at times like this, how being sheltered in Crystal City for so long has really cramped him. For all he knows, this is the sort of thing these other Cybertronians run into all the time. And he'd gone willingly, then, but he felt so...parochial now.

"I think, well, maybe you should come look. It might be what we're looking for."

[alwaysadrift]

Wing's sense is probably not too far from the truth, Drift is just more accustomed to it. Granted he has a few concerns of his own when it comes to Megaton's judgement, but the current situation is here to let me him conveniently evade that topic.

Of course, he's also interested to watch the interaction between Wing and Megatron, two very influential forces in his life that were once in opposition.

"Rodimus would probably say it just to spite you though," he shrugs: the Lost Light's other captain had made his feelings quite public on the ex-warlord. He turns to Wing though, knowing the jet's intentions are different. "Then let's be off yeah? Don't keep us in too much suspense."

yes i changed tenses i am tired and not editting

[sorrynotguilty]

It was true, Wing wasn't too far off. Megatron used to have a fairly high opinion of Rodimus before the war truly began. However, being stuck with him moping for six months really shaped his present opinion of his fellow captain. The guy really was a brat that needed someone to jostle him every now and then instead of coddle him. Megatron was more than happy to oblige.

It was also a little fun.

"He would," Megatron agreed. "But he would also say it for other reasons."

Other reasons that Megatron was not going to get into. That wasn't a judgment on Megatron's part. He, honestly, held fairly high expectations of Wing. Perhaps it wasn't fair, but it was what it was. Right now, though, he agreed with Drift that they really should be off to see it. Thus he nodded to them both, closing the topic of around his comment.

...This was where he really was going to miss his flight capable frame.

[knightoflight]

It was far more disconcerting than it should have been, perhaps, this obvious evidence of the life Drift has had after him--a whole world of jokes he couldn't possibly understand, a whole net of associations he couldn't hope to unpick.

It must have been what Drift had felt like back in Crystal City. And as much as he'd always craved adventure, he found his insides almost knotting in homesickness, for a home he knew was gone.

So all he could do was give a bland, obviously unknowing smile--because to do anything else would be rude, leading the way over the dunes, long strands of grass schussing around his ankles as he moved. "I think it might be where the village used to be."

[alwaysadrift]

Wing would have been a part of that life if Drift could do it all over again, somehow change things, but he's trying not to live in the past as the knight has advised more than once now. So he's focused here now, a new place with new opportunities to see what they can do together.

Having the others here was another boon. Maybe they could make up a strange sort of family the way the Lost light had, back when he was welcome there. Minus Pharma. And that Starscream too, unless he shapes up.

Drift nods at Megatron, he can't deny it but he's not one to go too far when referencing his friend's faults. He follows after Wing, wondering if the jet seems more troubled than he had before or if Drift is imagining that. The comment trips him up though. "Wait. The whole village? As in...there's none of it left?"

[sorrynotguilty]

If anyone asks, Megatron would admit that he's grateful about the cards he's been dealt here. Drift is a welcome face, quite obviously. While he's still trying to get a feel for Wing, the knight is willing to work with Megatron without a fuss or a quip concerning the ex-warlord's status. That's an unexpected plus. Rodimus might need a great deal of maturity, but he is handy in a fight and resourceful. Yes, it's a good start indeed.

He follows behind the other two, timing his steps accordingly. Having to learn how to pace himself to others instead of expecting them to keep up is a harder task than he had thought.

"That would explain why no one has heard from them," he muses out loud. His life seems to be revolving around missing objects at the moment.

[knightoflight]

"I could see nothing of the village, but the coordinates are about right." He nods, agreeing with Megatron's assessment, his voice sounding as disturbed as Drift does. The idea of something that could just...swallow a whole village, buildings, people, all? It was an enemy that no weapon could fight.

The glow, shifting and strange, is visible now, as they climb to the top of the last rise. This time, Wing swears he can feel some sort of wrongness from here. "You see?" he says. "Have you seen anything like this before?" He skips gracefully down the last little hillock, peering at the strange anomaly more closely.

[alwaysadrift]

"Unfortunately it would. No distress call, not even a truncated one..." Speaking of suspense mounting, it feels like it's piling up between his shoulders, heavier than the Great Sword he carries. Drift rolls a shoulder, trying to release tension. He's seen worse than this, right? "What could act so quickly and on such a scale?"

He feels a bit out of his depth, wishing again they had someone like Perceptor or even Brainstorm around, as his optics track upwards to the top of the glowing shape. His helm shakes in a slow negative, "This is unreal," and then he realizes Wing is no longer beside him. "Gah--are you sure it's safe to get close?"

[sorrynotguilty]

Megatron doesn't like it at all. Aside from the obvious gnawing at his insides, anyone with half a brain module would know that getting closer to an object glowing ominously like that isn't a good idea. He follows after Wing, not as gracefully but that's a given. A hand rests on one of those white shoulders, keeping the knight back a distance.

"I wouldn't suggest getting any closer until we are sure it is safe."

Please go by the book on this. Megatron doesn't especially want to deal with adventurous young Cybertronians doing stuff that they all might later regret.

"It's hardly unreal, Drift," he says in the next instant. "We have dealt with dead universes and universe devouring creatures, for starters. Need I mention all of the unusual things your stay on the Light Light gave you? This is simply one more thing that needs to be explained so we may understand it properly."

would be awesome if I got the notif for this, DW.

[knightoflight]

"Some sort of quantum anomaly, maybe." He's an engineer, so he has some scientific background, but, clearly, not enough.

He feels the hand on his shoulder, and drops weight, twisting his shoulder out from under the hand. He's skilled in hand to hand, and evading something like that barely took a thought. Nothing is going to get between him and his curiosity. "How are we going to see if it's safe from a distance?"

Seriously.

[alwaysadrift]

It's a shame that Drift was too busy being, well, a stubborn aftface to get to know Wing in Crystal City. Aside from martial throws, palm pushes and golden smiles, he doesn't know what any of the jet's other talents are.

So he looks suitably impressed at Wing's assessment of the big glowly thing that defies his description. "You think so?" He chuffs a laugh a Megatron's response. "True. I suppose this feels unreal because it's not trying to eat my spark, take over my body or consume my homeworld." Weird things come in aggressive packages?

Drift is still a weird jumble of confused conflicted feelings when it comes to Wing and Megatron though, so the hand on the jet's shoulder is both reassuring and dismaying at the same time. Are they...familiar? Hmm, perhaps not, with the way the jet moves away. "Wing has great reflexes." Still, Drift is going move closer, just to be in grabbing distance. Just in case.

[sorrynotguilty]

"Noted," he replies, not hiding the growing irritation in his tone. This is why things go so awry with the Lost Light, he's certain of it. People are clearly lacking common sense and simple reasoning skills. Megatron is older than dirt he should have to be babysitting a far too curious jet and a speedy mech that can't very damn well say no.

Megatron? He isn't moving. Not yet. His steps are far larger and he can cross the distance in decent reacting time if need be. However, the tank is not going to get closer than absolutely necessary.

"It's akin to curiosity and the cat..." the ex-warlord mutters. Oh he is a reckless sort, let no one tell people differently. He had done things without thinking first and look where that's gotten them all. No, he's not making more of those mistakes.

[knightoflight]

"If this were dangerous, it would have attacked by now."

Pish. Everyone worries about such silly things. There's a missing village, and if this...thing is the root cause of it, Wing is determined to find out, and maybe, maybe, get them back.

Wing pauses, looking over his shoulder, half reaching toward the glow. "What's a cat?" Really, it's too much new and exciting things at once.

[alwaysadrift]

"They're furry little animals from earth. Agile with pointy ears and tails. Humans seem to have keen interest in them." He might almost call it obsession or religion, but then it's hard to tell. "I don't think I've ever heard of one of dying from curiosity though?" Stuck inside window coverings, boxes, drawers or washtubs, yes. Hardly fatality material though.

And sorry Megatron, it's clear that being a flock master is your calling. And well, if you did it wrong the first time, now's the time to try again!

But nothing was ever accomplished without a little risk. Drift was born to this notion, but Wing knows it too, given he met Drift in the midst of taking a great risk for the greater good. Maybe that's something Megatron will learn here too, what it means to risk for the greater good.

"Do you hear something...?" Drift leans closer, tilting an audio towards the glowing barrier. If he didn't know better, he'd those were the sounds of fighting, because there is little that he knows better than combat.

[sorrynotguilty]

"It's an expression," Megatron adds, rubbing a bit at his nasal ridge. "They aren't meant to be taken literally."

Megatron doesn't intend to learn this risk taking business - not when the cost is his own life. He has too much to accomplish to die here. Besides, they cannot help anyone if they are dead and gone.

Either way, nope. He has gone the distance. This present location? That's where he is staying.

[knightoflight]

Well, now Wing is confused. Apparently he is comparable to some pointy-eared organic creature in a way that isn't positive?

"Oh, like poetry?" That also isn't meant to be literal, he figures. He'd have to study this 'cat' thing later, to decide.

"Hear something?" He turns back, stepping closer, audio receptors tilting toward the flickering light.

[alwaysadrift]

"Oh. Kind of misleading then, isn't it?" He's half poking fun now, implying that Megatron might be making too much a big deal out of things, mostly cats dying of curiosity. He's trying to keep the tone light, because there's an eerie chill creeping into his backstrut that he doesn't like. No need to alarm anyone though, right? "I've always had respect for plays on words though. Off-world idioms and poetry, especially haikus." Drift only wishes he could be that creative; he can write a decent speech, but beyond that? He's a bit lost.

He stands and listens again, straining towards the barrier, joints tightening. "It sounds like...fighting? Does no one else hear that? There's something going on in there."