[Video] - far above the Haven, with a bit of static

[angleofscience]

[The video feed, laced with static here and there but otherwise viable, shows Jetfire from bottom half and down, his arm angled to focus on what seems to be a little drone plane insistently burning at full throttle a few feet beneath thrusters.

Though, for some reason, unless he's keeping precise time with it (which, in fact, he's not, keeping himself hovering) it doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Far, far below both Jetfire and drone, the curve of Cybertron can be seen.]

I was in need of some... er, distraction and can safely say that attempting to leave Cybertron's near orbit at present, without some sort of modification, won't result in any greater harm than frustration.

[Jetfire starts to drift, so hopefully no one watching easily gets vertigo as he makes a circle above the insistently flying drone.]

I did, of course, attempt some preliminary tests before I was given the modifications, but as there was no way to know if pushing too far would result in a negative backlash of some sort, I didn't think it prudent to try to use too much power in attempting to get past the... er, field that currently seems to surround Cybertron.

[He might sound a bit more clipped than he usually does, and, out of view of the down-tilted feed, Jetfire's frowning because by now he's sort of... on edge due to Things. Hence, distraction.

Underneath his feet, the drone plane's engine nozzles sputter, cough and then die as it runs out of fuel, and the feed tilts, aiming back up to show Jetfire's upper half and wearing his outer helmet as he dives down to catch it, the static in the feed as he nears Haven smoothing out.]

Also, ah... Sari, Kagerou? I have something for each of you.

[You would think he's not flying straight down at speed to catch his drone plane, by his unruffled tone.]

Comments

[raceme]

You are doing unsafe things again. [HE DOES NOT APPROVE MISTER.]

[angleofscience]

Unsafe? [The visor flicker just a shade and his huff is lost to the air while Jetfire puts on a bit more power, catching the falling drone and abruptly pulling up.] I am an air guardian, Blurr, and I'm fully fuelled. Nothing was going to happen.

[He comes to a hovering stop, tapping the nosecone tip of the little drone plane to his helmeted face slowly.]

What would've been unsafe is if I'd attempted this test while I still was bound by the field, without being sure if there was negative backlash that could happen.

[raceme]

Yes un-sa-fe.

Although, I guess you have a point. [He just worries, okay?] I can't say your results are something we weren't expecting PERHAPS you will have more luck the next time.

[angleofscience]

[That's okay, you've lured him into a chuckle, however brief.]

Even if I hadn't had the mods, I would've waited until I had a viable drone that could reach calculated escape velocity and perform this test for me instead of potentially harming myself.

And yes... I didn't expect much else, this was more to confirm my initial attempts had a correct basis, and for others to be sure. It wouldn't do if pushing too hard would make your engine stop working, or similar.

[Jetfire shakes his helm and then takes off the helmet, frowning.]

It was good distraction, as well. I'd forgotten I'd intended to do this.

[raceme]

[It was nice while it lasted. That made Blurr calm down a bit too.]

Good, goooood. Enough people gets hurt here already, we don't need scientist who do that on purpose. [Primus knows that it happens to Wheeljack often enough.]

That said, I appreciate your efforts, I really do. I know many people here wants to get back to their wolds. [Not Blurr, but he's very aware of it.] If ^{you are not going to try anything su-i-ci-dal I would like to help if you need it.}

[angleofscience]

I do know how to take precautions, Blurr. [More amused than he might otherwise have been considering his distracted state, Jetfire shakes his helm.]

Ah, well. This would more eventually potentially help us explore this rality's universe than anything else, though if we do need to approach the Lambda to be able to send people home, that would indeed mean we'd need to know how the field currently around Cybertron works, yes.

For now, I don't think there's much else I can do, but at least we know any ship someone takes for a flight, or one of those of us who can fly, won't injure themselves by attempting to breach the field.

[Well, unless they try to breach it for long enough their fuel runs out...]

[Video]

[wherenobotsgone]

[Oh. Well, that isn't exactly good news.]

I wouldn't say these results are unexpected, but... it's still disappointing to hear.

[Video]

[angleofscience]

[Unfortunately not.]

Indeed. I knew something like this would happen as I did test the limits before I got the modifications, but I didn't want to push too far back then. [Sighing, Jetfire turns over the drone plane he's captured, inspecting the burnt-out engine nozzles.]

We really ought to see about modifications for you... perhaps from another source, however. Or inquire how possible it'd be to negate the field more widely than just for singular individuals...

[He's frowning behind his visor, not that it can be seen, and thankfully this is at least distracting enough he sounds less... on edge.]

[Video]

[wherenobotsgone]

I would very much like that, in fact. [He frowns a little.] Even if we can't leave orbit, it's better than nothing. I'm not used to being grounded.

[Video]

[angleofscience]

Being truly grounded would have been unpleasant, yes. [As he's far lower now than before, Jetfire pulls his helmet off, smiling slightly.] The limit without some form of modifications seem to be right up to near space, not allowing for any true escape from orbit...

At least the... field merely seems to function as a gravity well we simply cannot overcome, rather than... er, retaliating in any substansive way.

[Video]

[wherenobotsgone]

Well, that's... something, at least. It's certainly frustrating, but that beats being outright dangerous.

[Because, honestly, he wouldn't have been too surprised if it had turned out that the field could zap them or something of the like.]

[Video]

[angleofscience]

Precisely. I had some suspicions that it might actually have some harmful effect if tested too far, which was why I didn't think it prudent to press on without something less... er, fragile or important, but it's clear we at least didn't need to worry about that.

[Shaking his helm, Jetfire looked down past his feet and on the curve of Cybertron far below.]

This test just happened far later than I initially had planned it for, plus the modifications made it somewhat obsolete for me... but that does not mean it's yet the same for others.

[Have a slightly dry smile, Skyfire.]

[Text]

[kick_astromech]

[[Inability to escape orbit = due to planetary gravitational pull? Cannot engage hyperdrive?_]]

[audio]

[angleofscience]

Ah, no.

There's a field, irrespective of and separate from Cybertron's gravitational pull. If it was merely a question of the gravity well, I and those others who can fly or have access to ships with enough power would have been able to leave from the beginning.

There's been some suggestions that the separate effect is a side-effect caused by the Lambda, which I surmise could be due to the interdimensional energies of the anomaly.

[Text]

[kick_astromech]

[[Properties of unnatural field? Does it cause damage if attempted to bypass?_]]

[audio]

[angleofscience]

[He hums, shaking his helm even if it can't be seen.]

No, as the drone just showed, even when the engines should generate enough thrust to reach escape velocity, the field seems to simply negate it, so no injuries would happen. And whatever it is, it, at least, shows no other physical evidence than the effect it has.

[Audio]

[kick_astromech]

[The electronic whistle that follows in response sounds thoughtful at that.]

[Audio]

[angleofscience]

Indeed, it's somewhat... curious. The issue could partly be remedied if we had, or had access to, equipment that could properly scan the field and the Lambda both, without necessarily sending someone up and expose themselves to risk.

[Which... he's done before anyway. Because it seemed necessary.]

Video

[uknowuwantmebaby]

...so taking a Northwest flight out of here is out of the question.

Video

[angleofscience]

... Er. Yes. [No, he didn't get that at all, though at least he got the gist of it, the visor of his helmet flaring briefly.] Though since none of us here comes from this reality, merely being capable of breaching the field wouldn't get you home, unfortunately.

[video]

[adamndoctor]

So, someone is testing flights outta here. Have you tested it before? Leaving Cybertron's orbit, that is.

[video]

[angleofscience]

Ah, yes. [That? That's a dry grin in his voice.]

The first time was when I brought back those... er, melons? that you assisted me with. The destination I ended up at was accidental of course, but I broke orbit on my way to the proper distance needed to the Lambda.

Since then, I've been to the moons a few times. Mostly flybys. It hasn't seemed like a good idea to range further out yet.

[video]

[adamndoctor]

[Oh, riiiight. He'd forgotten about that. He's been preoccupied. You know how it goes.]

So, you do it little by little, testing the borders each time?

[video]

[angleofscience]

Basically, yes, though of course I can no longer make all tests myself unless I have assistance of somebody who hasn't recieved modifications, or like my friend here.

[Jetfire holds up the little drone plane, giving a twitch of his large shoulders.]

The only limit currently in the near-space around Cybertron does seem to be field that sits at near-orbit and it doesn't seem to be wide band of effect, more like a thin layer. I have so far met no other obstacles besides having to keep a careful distance from the Lambda itself, of course.

[video]

[adamndoctor]

Testing on guinea pigs is a bit more logical, yes. That drone got any further than you?

Guess the Lambda doesn't suck things up as much as it spits out, then. [sighs]