AUDIO;

[thehardway]

I... apologize for my disappearance. I'm afraid I was rather preoccupied with a very distracting task.

Yes. So.

I will scan the Link and catch up shortly, but I'm afraid I will need to be debriefed. If someone could do that.

That would be. Good.

Comments

audio;

[thehardway]

Hot Rod shot you?

Did you provoke him?

audio;

[sciencetank]

If I had done so, wouldn't I have mentioned as much?

audio;

[thehardway]

You provoke a lot of people, Perceptor.

What precisely happened?

audio;

[sciencetank]

No I don't. When have I ever provoked anyone?

We were speaking. He grew increasingly more agitated, despite the subject matter being utterly mundane. I inquired as to where he had arrived, and he proceeded to shoot me.

audio;

[thehardway]

[SIGH he can't discuss this right now.]

I will address Hot Rod accordingly. Do you know what Megatron is specifically recruiting for?

Who is this Decepticon?

audio;

[sciencetank]

Considering he made an attempt to recruit myself, he divulged a number of plans for some sort of "portal" off this world.

One moment...

[Let him go back and look it up.]

Mm, he never introduced himself to me, personally, but his... speech... is Here.

audio;

[thehardway]

That would be of interest to many who want to leave here. Megatron is charismatic enough to lead many people to believe something like that.

...Tarn. Wheeljack's correct. He is here.

audio;

[sciencetank]

I would say the more fools they, for believing Megatron's words. But I doubt that's going to go over terribly smoothly.

... You know him, then?

audio;

[thehardway]

I will make sure that someone keeps an eye on Megatron and his group. We cannot take action at this point.

I know of him.

audio;

[sciencetank]

I'm far more interested in where on Cybertron he managed to get something resembling working plans for a trans-dimensional portal. Or, at least, plans he believes are workable.

[And he'd love to get his hands on them, but that's another story.]

Then you'll be able to assist me. I've been recruited by a rather terrified medic into helping him defend himself. But, doing so would be remarkably simpler if I knew what precisely I was up against.

audio;

[thehardway]

I couldn't tell you, unfortunately.

I don't know enough about Tarn to advise you on that. But it seems that there is at least one person who does know of him. What is most important is keeping Ambulon under guard.

audio;

[sciencetank]

...


You're splendidly unhelpful today, commander.

Regardless... yes, I've been working on a sort of self-defense module. Something like a cross between a firearm and a net, so to speak. Not enough to kill an individual, but, theoretically, it should cause enough of a disturbance in vital systems so as to incapacitate for a time. Buying the victim time enough to flee the scene and find safe haven.

audio;

[thehardway]

It is statements like that in which most would find provoking.

[Not Magnus, because his field of fucks is always barren.]

Hopefully, that will work against Tarn. He isn't your typical Decepticon, from what rumors I've heard.

audio;

[sciencetank]

[Pause.]

I can't imagine why anyone would think that...

[FORGING ON.]

But, please, tell me what you've heard. At this point, rumors are preferable to working utterly blind.

audio;

[thehardway]

[SIGH.]

Mostly? That most captive Decepticons would rather I kill them rather than let them potentially become captured by the Decepticon Justice Division. Rumors of how they are executed are not exclusive to Tarn; Tarn himself is a bit of a mystery. I know he has a tank vehicle mode, but that is sincerely all I know. Frankly, I know a bit more about his teammates than Tarn himself.

audio;

[sciencetank]

Hm. A tank...

I can work with that. Of course, it requires a good deal of self-testing, but! That's science for you.

audio;

[thehardway]

Would it be too much to ask that you don't make it too risky?

audio;

[sciencetank]

... Define "too risky", Commander.