[audio] - locked to Wing

[angleofscience]

Wing, could I... er, ask you to meet me at my current location?

[Have some coordinates, which happens to be up in the air rather far above the junk pile.]

I need to request something of you.

[Jetfire doesn't sound grim, but certainly serious enough, which his body language whenever Wing arrives should convey obviously enough as well, arms folded over his chest and expression tight, but not exactly a frown.]

Comments

[Audio --> Action]

[winged_knight]

Jetfire, of course. [He notes those coordinates and the location to which they correspond.]

I'll be there shortly. [He actually gives you very precise travel time, seemingly without even realizing it.]

[And off he goes, jetting over the junk pile, arriving as exactly as promised.]

[Action]

[angleofscience]

[The curiously precise travel/arrival time is noted with a cocked helm, especially as Wing... apparently wasn't aware of doing it. Interesting.

Wing's arrival gets greeted by a brief but certainly genuine smile even as Jetfire does certainly notice (he was tracking the time) that Wing arrived exactly when stated that he would.]

Thank you. I need you to... er, well. I need you to keep an optic on Starscream in the coming days.

[He briefly lays a hand to cover the lower part of his face, optics dimming.]

I agreed to accept modifications from Liege Maximo which should allow me to pass the barrier the Lambda seems to lay around Cybertron and keeping any of us capable of escape velocities and space flight from achieveing it.

The point is to gain more data on the Lambda itself, as up until now, as I understand it, only Vector Prime has been available to ocassionally get out into space to monitor the Lambda.

[There's a heavy static sigh as Jetfire shakes his helm and looks up at Wing again, frowning.]

I told Starscream a good while earlier, but I'm not going to tell him I'm leaving. If I don't return immediately, would you... just attempt to make sure he doesn't do anything?

[Action]

[winged_knight]

[Wing is too distracted by his own curiosity at Jetfire's sudden request that he doesn't notice his statement proves correct. He does however arrive with a pleasant greeting to offer once he leaves his alt mode.]

Gladly. [His optic ridge quirks.] Moreso than usual I take it? Proactively so, perhaps?

So you're going all the way up there? [There's a trace of envy in his words as he looks up into the Lambda, and a bit of fascination. Vector being the only one previously capable is an interesting bit of news, though not surprising given what he knows about the 'jet'.]

[He tilts his head at Jetfire's apparent concern, which seems to be not sorely reserved for Starscream?] I can certainly keep him from doing anything rash. But you look a touch grim, do you anticipate trouble?

[Action]

[angleofscience]

Proactively so if needed. Given that he... er, shot me with the null-ray and locked me in the lab I have outside of Liege's temple when I told him what I was going to do, I don't want him to do anything to anyone he might percieve as... responsible.

[Following Wing's glance upwards, Jetfire nods.]

Liege Maximo has implied, and even if he hadn't I would have added it to the possible results anyway, that this might be a one-way trip. [Gesturing to himself, in the direction of the Badlands, and then up towards the Lambda in one sweeping motion, Jetfire shrugs, his large shoulders heaving.]

Not only is the Lambda connected to the Badlands but most probably the origin of what created them, but it's also a time-space anomaly on its own, regardless of any negative effects on reality, sparks or otherwise.

We have no idea what going close to it might do to me, given that I am not one of the Firstforged.

[The chuckle is dry and brief as he tilts his helm in a nod.]

And yes, I am going there. After that, provided nothing happens, since there's other things that might happen besides the Lambda affecting me, I might be able to go further... elsewhere. Like I should be able to do.

[He is a space-capable craft, after all.]

[Action]

[winged_knight]

[...]

Er...he tried to prevent you from leaving?

[Wow. That says something surprising about Starscream's opinion of this and how much he cares.]

[But that thought gets pushed aside as Jetfire goes into detail regarding this not-so-little endeavor, concern spreads over his face as the scientist goes on.]

But...why? I know we need information but. Isn't there a better way to ensure your safety?

[He's having horrible flashes of his memory of Ramjet right now. Lovely timing on that. He really doesn't want to think about it.]

[Action]

[angleofscience]

He did, yes. [Jetfire briefly looks off, optics flaring. He's both... embarrassed and pleased, especially if that little smile that very briefly manages to steal over his faceplates is anything to go by.] Not that I condone locking me up as a method of showing his opinion of an admittedly dangerous endeavour.

[He snorts, then, and shakes his helm, spreading his hands wide, palms up.]

Anything we send up must be protected against radiation, needs to have the equipment that's going to scan the Lamdba, would need to be maneuverable and thus remote controlled in the best of circumstances to hopefully avoid physical obstacles, and would need to be equipped for return... All this is standard, of course, then there's the additional modifications necessary to get the device past the barrier...

[He knows it's not necessarily a good idea at all, but well... Presently it does seem the most effective way.]

Any fully equipped ship would still need a pilot capable of operating the equipment, and we'd still risk someone that way. I'd certainly not do it this way if there was some other way of getting what we need.

[He'd still want the modifications, though, to get past the barrier, because to be locked in in this way when he shouldn't be is very annoying.]

[Action] Sorry he has to push back at least a little, or it wouldn't be him!

[winged_knight]

[His level of respect for Starscream seems to have risen slightly.] Well no, it's a little extreme isn't it? Though oddly flattering.

[He can't really talk, since he might have done the same to Drift during the Calling.]

All of that is difficult yes, but...not impossible? [Unnecessary risk seems to be a thing of late. But one thing Wing isn't, is a scientist, so his ability to judge is quite limited. He's still plainly troubled by it though.]

Is this...your idea, or Liege's?

[Action] Perfectly all right. It's a good idea to call him into question!

[angleofscience]

[Starscream's drama brings all the jets to his yard?]

... You could, ah, say that, yes.

[Jetfire nods, having to admit that yes, it's not impossible.]

You're quite right. Either of those possibilities would take longer than this, however, and speed might be of the essence, especially as, even if nothing necessarily goes wrong on this trip, repeated trips would be needed either way.

I know this isn't safe, and in a way... [trailing off, Jetfire shrugs, a frown settling on his faceplates] it's not very fair to Starscream. But I'm... interested, as well.

[And he really rather wants the ability to leave Cybertron's gravity well again, as he should be able to do.]

Both. Something similar was mentioned when we first appeared here, in the junk pile, and I offered again during the Glyphless event, but while the lack of guarantee of safety is troubling... I feel we need to get this moving sooner rather than later.

[Putting himself in harm's way is something he's used to.]

[Action] I'll just be more polite than Starscream

[winged_knight]

[Apparently! Nothing like doing something redeemable to put some shine on a questionable reputation.]

Granted... I know exploration always comes with inherent risk, given it's unknown by nature... [He still seems to fret a bit, trying to get more comfortable with the idea and only half succeeding.]

Well, you would know the chances of success better than I, and I hope they are at least good.

[He's happy to hear that Liege solely hasn't put the scientist up to this, Wing is not certain how he feels about that particular Firstforged.]

Do you need to stay in touch with someone while you do this? At least for monitoring purposes? [It's a question and an offer in one, he's had enough of not knowing what's happened to his friends and companions.]

[Action] Thankfully so. Jetfire wouldn't know what to do if Wing acted like Starscream

[angleofscience]

[If that's what you want to hear, Wing, let Jetfire tell you about Starscream rescuing Bumblebee...]

But this does hold a fair amount more risk given the observably dangerous environment I'll be operating closeby. [It's an assent, no hesitation. He doesn't tend to look away from ugly fact.] This does, however, in my estimation, hold enough of a chance of success to be worth an attempt, given that some of the things that could happen doesn't even have anything to do with being close to the Lambda and risking something similar to the Badland's effect...

[Liege didn't need to do a lot of convicing or danging of scientific exploration and results... Jetfire really shouldn't be let in the Firstforged's proximity.]

Ah... I'd say yes, but upgrades to the Link and communications in general and testing them will be part of the additional testing to be done besides for the scanning of the Lambda.

[Jetfire looks away briefly at that, an implicit admission that yes, even communications will be spotty, even with Liege himself. THIS IS AN EXCELLENT IDEA.]