WAR IN HEAVEN

   Day 1


Logged by: Soundwave



Command Center

        This circular room was formerly the bridge 
when the base was a viable spaceship. Now used as the 
Command Center, it is dominated by the large central 
viewing screen. The screen is linked to the main 
computer system, and can display anything from 
energon production reports to tactical updates to 
topside weather information. The various other bridge 
control stations have been converted to monitor and 
control the various mechanisms and activities of the 
base. They curve around the room from the door to the 
central viewscreen.

Rumble [Robot] 
Tempest [Robot] 
Megatron [Robot] 
Ravage [Jaguar]
Obvious exits:
 <S> South leads to Access Corridor.

Striker arrives from Access Corridor.

Gryphus arrives from Access Corridor.

Ravage idly sits in the command chair.. examening a 
hind leg with tender sniffs and licks.

Tempest is in an equally idle mood, running a 
sharpener up and down one of her blades.

Ravage resettles in Megatrons chair and looks around 
giving a yawn... his chin resting now on the armrest.

Gryphus enters Access Corridor <<S> 
South>.
Gryphus has left.

Megatron generously oversees Ravage. "The Autobots 
are starting to send out teams to investigate. And... 
it is not us they are looking for," he explains. "I 
want to know /what/ it is."

Soundwave has been at his communications post the 
whole time, aware of the comings and goings around 
him, but concentrated as usual on his work.

Rumble grins. "We find it first...we /claim/ it 
first."

Ravage optics move to look at Megatron... his ear 
wiggling as if asking.. Yah... so... what you want me 
to do.
 
Soundwave focuses in on a set of readings he's been 
tracking for a while. "Commander," he finally speaks 
up, finding it interesting enough to bother Megatron 
with the news, "the area over the ocean that the 
Autobots have been investigating, shows some unusual 
energy readings. Much like those we received from the 
time travel portal several weeks ago."

Ravage lays his hips onto there side and stretches 
out a leg.

Striker silently yawns and stretches out on the chair 
he usually sits in, the one on the far corner, 
"Probably just bored and decided to see if there was 
anything interesting on this planet..." he glances at 
the monitors, "I could already tell them there's some 
interesting mountain formations and that's about it, 
that flight last night wasn't all that interesting. 
But there is some pretty landscapes."

Ravage thinks, . o O 0 ( Them script writers screwing 
up my Naps again... Damn them Autobot Loving Slag 
monsters! )

Rumble shivers and goes over behind Soundwave. "I 
never wanna do that time warp thing again..."
 
Tempest's optics narrow and she looks up from her 
sword. "What was that you two told me about 
consequences?"

-Mindlink- Ravage says, "Joys.... a Recon mission ?"

Megatron says, "Is it a time portal again?"

Ravage slowly gets up and leans over the edge of the 
command chair.... kinda teasing Megatron cuz he makes 
it look like he is going to depart.. then sits down 
again on his hunches.

Megatron says, "Well, this time I should send someone 
more capable to investigate the situation than 
Starscream..."

Soundwave turns to Megatron. "Possibly. The readings 
are similar."

Rumble mutters, "Someone who doesn't plan to take 
over the past...and trash the future."

Soundwave focuses in on an aerial view of an island 
that, if anyone had been paying attention to Earth 
geography, was not there before.

-Mindlink- Rumble says, "It'd be funny if I wasn't 
lookin' at a thousand years stuck with those mideval 
morons."

Striker says, "I doubt there's anyone here that fits 
that certain profile Rumble..."

Megatron says, "Ravage, Rumble, you to are to find 
out what the Autobots are plotting in that area. 
Soundwave, you coordinate as usual."

-Mindlink- Ravage says, "Dibs on shotgun.. you 
drive."

Soundwave considers. "Perhaps ... Grimlock could be 
sent to accompany them. I would be interested to see 
how he responds in such a situation."

Rumble gets up, stands beside his brother. "Where to, 
Soundwave?"

Ravage lazily rises to his paws and leaps off the 
command chair.... finally freeing it for Megatrons 
pleasure... With a soft clinking sound Ravage hits 
the floor and pads to Soundwave who will probably 
give him the Coordinates to where he is going.

Megatron grins. "Excellent idea, Soundwave. I don't 
think anything on this planet could withstand them.

-Mindlink- Ravage says, "There smell is something 
needing to be.. withstood...."
 
Gryphus arrives from Access Corridor.

-Mindlink- Rumble says, "From medieval morons to 
prehistoric pinheads. Oh well..."
 
Soundwave's optic band flickers a little brighter, 
transmitting the planetary coordinates of the strange 
island on the screen. Aloud he reassures Rumble, who 
he notices is still a little wary of all things time-
travel, "We will be in constant contact, Rumble, do 
no tbe concerned."

Ravage wrinkles his nose at the thought of 
Grimlock.... reminding himself not to inhail too 
deeply when around him.

Rumble nods, not wanting to say /thank you/ out loud, 
but feeling better and wanting Soundwave to know. He 
offers a small grin...

Ravage glances at his brother and tilts his head.... 
Relaying a quick thought before turning for the 
door...

-Mindlink- Ravage says, "Yes.... So they can hear you 
scream as your life ends in agonizing receptor 
failure."

Grimlock arrives from Access Corridor.

-Mindlink- Rumble says, "Thanks a lot hairball."

Megatron watches the screen. "If there is a usable 
energy source, it must not fall into the Autobots’ 
hands.

Grimlock says, "Found it!"

Tempest raises an optic ridge at Grimlock, and goes 
back to polishing her newly sharpened sword.
 
Soundwave nods to the new arrival, pleased at the 
timely appearance.

A radio transmission is received by Gryphus.

You intercept a message from Shockwave: "*relayed 
from the base radio* This is Shockwave calling 
Gryphus. Please respond."

Gryphus transmits a message via radio.

Ravage isn't going to get stuck explaining the 
mission to Grimlock.. so he just starts to mosey on 
out between the big oaths legs...

Gryphus replies to the base radio. "Yes sir?

A radio transmission is received by Gryphus.

You intercept a message from Shockwave: "*relayed 
from the base radio* We have an interesting 
historical puzzle I would like your input on. Please 
report to Cybertron immediately, barring prior 
obligations from Megatron."

Megatron tilts his head as he hears the Dinobot 
enter. "Ah, Grimlock, welcome!" He walks over to the 
T-rex. "I have a task for you and your friends."

Grimlock says, "Me, Grimlock always ready to help, 
mighty Megatron!"

Gryphus glances at Meagtron. "Ah a moment sir."

Soundwave listens quietly as radio transmissions come 
in, but he gives no outward indication of noticing.

Gryphus transmits a message via radio.

Rumble leans on the wall, loitering in an attitude 
pretty much the same as a human youth on a 
streetcorner....

Gryphus says, "My lord my presence is needed on 
Cybertron. May I go?""
 
Megatron glances at Gryphus, thinking a moment. "We 
don't need you at the moment," he decides. "You are 
dismissed." He turns back to Grimlock.

Gryphus nods. "Thank you sir." she radios back to 
Shockwave.
Gryphus transmits a message via radio.

Gryphus exits, stage out.
Gryphus enters Access Corridor <<S> 
South>.
Gryphus has left.
 
Soundwave explains, "Grimlock, my creations have the 
coordinates of the place that requires investigation. 
I will be in contact with them throughout the 
mission."

Grimlock nods, and listens patiently.

Striker yawns and glances over at Tempest's sword, 
"You missed a spot," he points out to her.
 
Megatron says, "We detected Autobot activity there."
 
You say, “Also, sensors detect unusual energy 
readings, similar to those we have encountered 
before."
 
Megatron says, "It is unknown territory - you are the 
best mechanism for this job."

Tempest raises an optic ridge at Striker...as if 
wondering what he's trying to prove...pointing out an 
error doesn't make her day, nor does the possibility 
of this being sarcasm...she runs a finger along the 
blade as if to emphasize how sharp it is, smirks 
hungrily at Striker, and lays it down, selecting the 
other for sharpening.
 
Megatron says, "If there is energy, it is ours..."

You say, “Difficult to tell with remote sensors. Too 
much interference."

Ravage has left.
Grimlock has left.
 Rumble has left.

Megatron watches the screen. "This mysterious island 
intrigues me...

CatsCradle arrives from Access Corridor.

Tempest puts down her sword, gets up and stands 
beside Megatron. "What was that about 
consequences...about changes in the past, making 
changes in the future?"

Soundwave steps over to join Megatron and regards it 
thoughtfully. "Perhaps our previous experience with 
opening a portal into the timestream, has unleashed 
further repercussions."

CatsCradle slips quietly in and is about to perch on 
"her" console when she hears the reference to the 
timestream. "Oh, not again..."

Soundwave glances back toward the door as CatsCradle 
enters, nodding to her in brief greeting before going 
back to regarding the strange island shown in an 
aerial view on the screen. A shimmering haze seems to 
make it indistinct.

Tempest snickers quietly and looks at CatsCradle. "Be 
glad you're not out on recon, like Rumble. He's the 
one who's going back through the time warp if that's 
what this is..."

-Mindlink- Ravage feels like we ain't in Kansas 
anymore.

CatsCradle says, "He'll have more time travel 
experience than the rest of us, then.""

Megatron says, "I'm not interested in time travel, 
all that interests me is energy. Energy to supply our 
war."

-Mindlink- Rumble says, "No kidding bro, and with 
Genius-saur too. Let's scout this place and get out, 
I've got the creepies."

You say, “It is a puzzle, however, that this island 
did not appear on any aerial geographic views 
previously."

Tempest looks aside at Megatron. "You wouldn't try to 
go wipe out the Autobots before they were even 
built?"

-Mindlink- Soundwave says, "(You both sense Soundwave 
trying to see out through your senses to see what 
you're detecting)"

-Mindlink- Rumble's head shows back images of organic 
beasts much resembling the Dinobots walking around. 
Rumble's emotion are a mix of wonder, and 
creepies....

CatsCradle blinks. "Well, if he did try, he didn't 
succeed, because the Autobots are here..." She stops 
as her mind runs through time paradoxes, and she 
buries her face in her hands. "Okay, I don't think I 
want to think about that further..."

Soundwave glances at Tempest, but then he seems to 
focus on something far away as he listens in on what 
his creations are experiencing.

Striker says, "What fun would that be?"

Megatron narrows his optics, calculating the 
possibilities... Wiping out the Autobots before they 
were built... interesting idea...

-Mindlink- Ravage says, "Merowl... Autobots..... he 
knows that yellow beatles smell any place."

Tempest glances at Cats...nods slowly. She's 
uneducated, for the most part, but she can think... 
"That's what worries me, "she says softly. "Changing 
the universe in ways you never imagined. The Wheel 
turning too far..."

Soundwave says a bit distantly, "We would have to go 
a considerable distance back in time, however." He 
stops and looks up at the screen as though looking 
for something there, though the image has not 
changed. "Ravage reports Autobots have landed on the 
island. Your orders, Commander?"
 
Megatron says, "How many Autobots are there and which 
ones?"

CatsCradle looks up and says faintly, "Now I know why 
Diver hates time paradoxes so much. I wasn't looking 
at them from this angle before."
 
-Mindlink- Rumble says, "Yeah. My seismos are picking 
up activity in the earth....feels like a volcano! 
Imagine the energy we could get outta that."
 
-Mindlink- Soundwave says, "Identify Autobots 
detected. Bumblebee, and which others?"

-Mindlink- Ravage says, "I only see one... but there 
are possibly others... I did hear Jet engines."

-Mindlink- Rumble says, "It's that Powerglide 
guy...and....yeah, we got a human runnin' around 
too!"

You say, “Ravage reports the scent of Bumblebee. 
Rumble reports Powerglide. And one of their human 
allies."
 
CatsCradle nods at the image of the island. "This is 
what they were after then?"

Tempest says, "Great...the place is already crawling 
with Autobots...we might as well forget it."
 
You say, “Apparently so. They have detected the same 
energy readings we have."
 
Striker says, "Forget it? Why forget it? We've 
attacked Autobots for energy before."

CatsCradle says, "Two Autobots don't exactly equal a 
crawling-infestation," but her tone is hesitant.
 
You say, “They are likely to call others, unless they 
are discouraged from returning."

Soundwave's optic band flashes a little brighter.

Megatron says, "They should avoid contact. If the 
Autobots leave, they should let them go."
 
Megatron says, "The enemy doesn't need to know we 
discovered their little secret."

-Mindlink- Rumble says, "You get an image of a rather 
panicked Rumble, sent sprawling by the concussion of 
Powerglide's rockets, into a crevasse...with a rather 
large, annoyed brachiosaurus bearing down on him!"
 
Soundwave says calmly, "I believe it is too late for 
that, Commander. Rumble has encountered one of them 
already.

Tempest snorts and looks at CatsCradle. "They report 
us, and the next thing you know, we got every Bot 
there is buggin' us. It'd be better for us to go 
attack the ark /now/ while all the Bots are on the 
island..." She laughs as if joking, but her head 
tilts a little.

CatsCradle looks over at Tempest, her optics alit 
with amusement. "Yes. It would, wouldn't it?"

You say, “Shall I send orders to the team to dispatch 
the Autobots they find, so they do not survive to 
call the others?"
 
Striker says, "So why don't we then?"

CatsCradle says, "They'd really know something was 
wrong, then, if they don't report in.""

Megatron grumbles:"This idiot..." His optics glow. 
"Yes, Soundwave. However, we will leave for the 
island immediately."
 
You say, “It will buy us some time, CatsCradle."

Striker says, "Why not get every Decepticon we have 
and attack the ark, they'd never expect that."

<Earth> Soundwave says, "Soundwave to remote 
mission team: dispatch any Autobots you find. We are 
on our way to join you."

CatsCradle says, "We'd still have to get past 
Teletran.""

Megatron says, "Because the majority of Autobots is 
still there, fool."

<Earth> Ravage 's radio just sends a wash of 
static...

-Mindlink- Soundwave checks in to see your status, 
since he's not getting a radio signal back.

Striker frowns, "Like that's stopped us from fighting 
them before," then he picks himself up and heads for 
the door.

<Earth> Rumble says, "Sorry Soundwave...we had 
a little trouble with one'a these flesh-dinos!  And 
Powerglide is still buggin' us...but we chomped 
Bumblebee good...anyway..you wouldn't /believe/ the 
seismic energy readings in this place!"

CatsCradle murmurs to Striker, "yes, but there's a 
difference between attacking them, and attacking them 
on their home turf."

Soundwave tilts his head a little, listening to 
something far away. "Minimal damage to Ravage."

Striker rushes out the door to go help Ravage and 
Rumble on his own, barely hearing Cats comment.

Striker enters Access Corridor <<S> 
South>.
Striker has left.

Soundwave looks after Striker, then looks to Megatron 
expectantly.

CatsCradle watchs Striker leave and sighs. "How has 
he ever managed to stay alive this long?" she 
mutters.
 
Tempest snorts, growls something about the luck of 
fools, and sheathes her blades. Actually, she was 
thinking about attacking the Ark as well....later, if 
the Bots left...but her irritation is a hang-over of 
Striker's unfortunate crush...

Megatron says, "Decepticons, follow me to the 
mysterious island."

[travel time]
 
Pacific Ocean <Central>

Tempest [Robot] 
CatsCradle [Robot] 
Megatron [Robot] 
Mysterious Island
Obvious exits:
 <N> North leads to Pacific Ocean 
<Central>.
 <S> South leads to Pacific Ocean 
<Central>.
 <E> East leads to Pacific Ocean <Western 
Hemisphere>.
 <W> West leads to Pacific Ocean <Eastern 
Hemisphere>.
 
Mysterious Island





        From the air or from the distance across the 
waves, this island shimmers with an eerie sense of 
unreality as though a haze hangs around it. And in 
fact sensor readings show strange energy waves 
surrounding the whole island like a barrier. The 
towering cones of steaming volcanoes can be seen 
poking above the dense green forest that covers the 
land mass.


Soundwave flies alongside Megatron, noting the 
strange energy readings up ahead that surround the 
island like a shimmering wall.
  
Tempest says, in what woud seem like a whisper 
although it is audible over her engines, 'That 
place...feels wrong."
 
Megatron says, "This energy field is irritating my 
sensors, Soundwave. Do you have contact with our 
forces?"
 
CatsCradle says, "Doesn't surprise me, for a place 
that apparently didn't exist until recently."
 
You say, “I have telepathic contact with my 
creations. They are functional."

Megatron flies deep. "Where are they? And more 
important: where are the Autobots?"

You say, “The energies here make enemy readings 
difficult to detect, Commander."

Soundwave is of course watching and listening 
carefully and taking note of every sensation as they 
pierce the strange energy curtain. It buffets the 
fliers a little, like going through a stormcloud.

Megatron says, "Then lead us to the cassettes. If the 
Autobots are there, we will deal with them somehow."
 
Soundwave edges into the lead of the group, tracking 
the signal of Rumble and Ravage below on the island.

CatsCradle enters the mysterious island.
 
Megatron enters the mysterious island.

You arrive on the mysterious island.

Mysterious Island

        If one were to step back in time 100 million 
years into the lower Creteceous period, the Earth 
would look much like these surroundings: dense 
forests of palms and cycads cluster around towering 
volcanic cones, which smoke ominously and send the 
occasional tremor through the subterrain. Bubbling 
tar pits and steaming rifts through which geysers 
periodically erupt, mark this island as a place of 
rich resources and abundant energy. The native 
inhabitants range from massive sauropods and 
carnosaurs to herds of hadrosaurs and ceratopsians. 
The sky is claimed by leather-winged pterosaurs, and 
elasmosaurs glide in the offshore currents 
surrounding this land. Primitive toothed birds can be 
seen flitting through the forest among the great 
reptiles. In short, this is the species composition 
of the Mesozoic Era, alive and well in its lost 
world, and transported somehow into the present day.

Contents:
Megatron
CatsCradle
Striker
Grimlock
Rumble

Tempest arrives on the mysterious island.

Striker does a dive and transforms, landing beside 
Rumble.

Striker transforms into his Robot mode.
 
Far away in the distance ther'es a thud as 
Powerglide, thrown by Grimlock, hits earth. There's 
also a trail of oil as if an injured Transformer 
crawled away into the bushes.

Rumble laughs. "Grimlock, you kicked their afts 
good!"

Soundwave comes down for a landing near Rumble and 
Grimlock, looking around for Ravage as well.
 
Rumble says, "Ouch...Grimmy, your back is shot up 
pretty bad...lousy Autobot jet."
 
Megatron follows Soundwave who can locate the 
possition of the cassettes, realizing the strong 
energy emissions of the place.

Tempest transforms into her Robot mode.

Soundwave notes with a trained awareness that 
Grimlock has been damaged fairly badly. Absently he 
notices Chasm's clamor to get out, and ejects the 
tape, while he looks over the Dinobot's damage.

Chasm flaps out of Soundwave, stretching his wings, 
looking around rather warily...

Chasm
:


        A cassette transformer, Chasm resembles a 
sleek, stylised dragon in his main form, coloured in 
a glossy dark green finish with silver trim. His 
optics are a bright, ruby-red and his angular head 
forks into a two-horned crest. A streamlined jetpack 
is mounted on his back, shined to a chromed mirror-
finish. His reclining wings have highly-maneuverable 
laser cannons mounted on their underside. A long, 
segmented, silver tail coils around his form, its tip 
terminating in bladed mace. While Chasm's form is 
designed to be quadropedal for lateral movement, it 
can also support him in a bipedal posture when 
delicate manual tasks are called for. 


Striker frowns as he see's the other Decepticons 
entering the island.

Tempest seems disappointed to have missed the fight.

You say, “Are you able to fly, Grimlock?"

Rumble runs up to Megatron. "The seismic activity in 
this place is off the scale, Megatron...the volcanos 
must be /huge!"

CatsCradle lands lightly next to the others.
 
Grimlock says, "Me can fly, but me can't SEE when me 
flying anymore!"
 
Chasm coils flicks his tail back and forth rather 
nervously. "There's something very strange about this 
place. What was the energy signature like again?"

Tempest says, dryly, "Creepy." But she's obviously a 
little unnerved.

Soundwave considers, calculating the odds quickly ... 
strange island, strange energy signatures, enemies 
nearby at least recently, and concludes, "Megatron - 
I believe it would be wiser for me to send Buzzsaw to 
guide Grimlock back to base for repairs, than for us 
to have to safeguard him while we explore the 
unknown."

Megatron forgets the presents of Autobots. "This is 
beyond all calculations. Energy sources rich enough 
for us to control the destiny of this entire solar 
system."

Chasm snorts, "And you're not in the least bit 
suspicious?"
 
Megatron says, "Do so Soundwave."

CatsCradle is kneeling next to the oil trail. "In the 
meantime, we still have two Autobots alive and who 
know we are here. We're going to have company, soon."

Chasm mutters, "Autobots? Hunting us down?" He inches 
slightly back towards Soundwave's tape compartment..

Soundwave opens his tape compartment and ejects a 
gold tape, which quickly unfurls into Buzzsaw. The 
bird-like Decepticon circles for a moment and then 
comes to a rest carefully atop Grimlock's head.

Rumble laughs at Chasm. "Don't worry, both those Bots 
almost got bit in half by Grimlock, they ain't 
huntin' anyone for a while."

Grimlock transforms into his robot mode.

Soundwave sends a silent signal to his creation, and 
aloud says, "Buzzsaw will guide you back to base, 
Grimlock. I will send the Constructicons to see to 
your repairs."

Megatron, reminded of the the enemy presence by Cats, 
decides: "Striker, Tempest, eleminate them."

Grimlock says, "Thank you, Soundwave!"

CatsCradle says, "I'm not so much worried about these 
'Bots, as I am in the reinforcements they're going to 
call in.""

Grimlock takes off, his robot face still smouldering.

Chasm leans on one paw, "I'd say that your etiquette 
training was paying off, Soundwave."

Tempest notices the oil slick and pauses, sniffing 
like a beast on the trail, then darts off into the 
jungle.

Buzzsaw expertly keeps pace with the big Dinobot, 
guiding him up into the sky.
 
Soundwave looks questioningly at Chasm.
 
Striker frowns as Tempest walks off and then turns to 
Megatron before transforming and hunting them down 
from the skies, "I could've done this myself mighty 
Megatron."

Striker transforms into his F-15 mode.
 
Grimlock leaves the mysterious island.

Megatron says, "The rest: begin production of energon 
cubes at once!"

As Striker glides up into the sky, heavy leathery 
wingbeats start to flap towards. Some reptilian 
flying creature seems to be hurtling towards his 
undercarriage. A few dry croaks escape its beak.
 
CatsCradle hears the squawking and looks up. "Oh, 
dear..." she says faintly. "We went back in time, 
didn't we? AGAIN!" she looks around. "How'd we do it 
this time?"

Soundwave looks to Chasm. "You seem unusually tense 
in these surroundings, Chasm. The readings are 
similar to those we have encountered before, but 
Megatron is correct, this area is rich in energy 
sources that can be utilized.

Megatron clenches his fist. "And do not stop until we 
have drained this island dry!" The fire in his 
optics... is he getting drunk off the island's 
strange energy emissions?

Chasm flexes his wings back. Of course he's much too 
important to be wasted on gathering energon. 

Rumble says, "NO we didn't, Cats. At least, I don't 
/think/ we did. It's like this place came to /us/."

CatsCradle points at the pterodactyls. "Those aren't 
from this time."

Striker notices the creature as he glides off, "What 
the..." he says before reducing his speed and pulling 
up behind the creature, letting loose a blast of 
gunfire to get it away.

Chasm tilts his head to one side. "Soundwave, I think 
I should be remembering something at this point, but 
I just can't quite lay a paw on it..."

The bushes rustle and Tempest emerges, looking 
frustrated and annoyed.

The 'dactyl flaps away squawking...

Ravage starts to recover from his system shock and 
growls... looking around for the Autobots who did it 
to him.

Soundwave regards Chasm with interest, then decides, 
"Perhaps it will come to you while we work. Assist me 
in transporting some energon cubes to the sources of 
power." He starts generating empty energon cube 
containment fields - which means the tapes are 
expected to play forklift again.
 
You paged Ravage with '(tel) (Soundwave sends you a 
sense of encouragement, and subtly checks out your 
systems to see how much damage was sustained)'.

Chasm gingerly picks up an empty cube and toys with 
it...
 
Ravage calms down and observes to what is going on.

Tempest snarls. "They got away, Megatron. I lost the 
trail."

CatsCradle says, "Um... hello?" She waves her arms. 
"Is anyone else concerned that there are creatures 
here that aren't supposed to exist? And if there are 
ones other than 'dactyls, most of them will be a lot 
bigger than us?""

Rumble says, "Let's not remind me that I almost got 
stepped on by one of Sludge's cousins, Ok Cats?"

Striker see's no sign of the Autobots so he 
transforms and lands near the group, "I didn't see 
any Autobots, but I did see several creatures that 
looked like Grimlock's altmode."

Striker transforms into his Robot mode.

Soundwave notices a nearby rift in the earth that's 
producing hot steam, and picks up a stack of empty 
energon cubes, stepping over to it and looking down 
into the smoldering depths. "CatsCradle, yours is a 
valid concern, but it is possible that Autobot 
reinforcements will be arriving soon. We must gather 
what energy we can, lest it be left for their use."

Megatron glares at Tempest. "What? You let him 
escape?"

CatsCradle sighs. "Great. I'll get squished by an 
organic Dinobot, and Diver will /never/ believe it's 
not my fault."

Tempest snaps back, testily, "I never even saw them! 
The trail of oil stopped and there were blast 
marks...like they used jet packs or rockets or 
something. Blame the bots who let them get away in 
the first place."

Rumble picks up some cubes. "Forklift duty ain't 
lookin' so bad right now."

A flight of flapping reptiles lurch out of the trees 
into the sky. The sky is covered by their flight and 
their strange, panicked calls...

Soundwave holds one of the glowing containment fields 
out over the rift, and the hot steam swirls up almost 
eagerly to fill the cube with glowing-pink energon.

Tempest scowls, none too pleased that she got blamed 
for the escape of quarry that was gone before she 
could even sight it.

CatsCradle is still watching the sky. "Umm... I'd say 
something scared those away... as in whatever scared 
them is probably coming our way..."

Megatron clenches his fist, but then stops himself - 
as if being dragged back into reality for a moment. 
"Then we have to be prepared."

Striker glares up at the creatures angrily and aims 
his arm blasters at them, "Will you just SHUT UP!" 
and lets loose a blast at the creatures, downing one 
of them.

A sudden crashing of trees can be heard off to the 
left, in the jungle...

CatsCradle sighs again. "That was very helpful, 
Striker. Thank you."

Tempest eyes Megatron, as if wondering what got him 
in such a lousy mood, and feeling in too rotten a 
mood herself to bother approaching him to ask. She 
growls and starts picking up cubes....then her head 
jerks upward, her frame tenses. "What's that?"

Megatron turns around, watching the energon 
production.

Chasm seems to spend an awful lot of time on filling 
up his cube. He pauses now and then to daub at his 
finish with a polishing cloth.

Soundwave quickly puts down the energon cube and 
orients toward the sound.

CatsCradle adds, "And I'd say whatever scared the 
'dactyls is /definately/ coming our way!"

Megatron jerks around. "So quick?"

Striker scowls at Cats for her little comment.

With a honking bellow, a /huge/ lizard like creature 
bashes out of the forest and explodes into the 
clearing, its eyes panicky and mean. An apatosaurus, 
it seems to be focused on simply charging straight 
out of the forest, right through the energy 
production area.

Megatron awaits Optimus Prime and his troops to 
apear.

Megatron shoots out of reflex.

CatsCradle leaps into the air out of the dinosaurs' 
path, her jets kicking in as she hovers above them.

Soundwave moves hurriedly for that energon cube and 
snatches it up, taking flight and calling at the same 
time, "Rumble, Ravage, Chasm, scatter!"

Tempest draws her swords....realizes that a rampaging 
beast couldn't care less how injured it is, and 
elects to bolt instead!

Rumble doesn't need to be told twice! He tries to 
drag his stack of cubes with him, but they're too 
heavy, and finally he abandons them and darts into 
the foilage.

The apatosaurus is bearing down on the gathered 
Decepticons. Strange, melodic honks echo from its 
nostrils... "Ooooooohhnnkkk!" Its foot smashes 
straight where the Decepticons were a second ago!

Chasm dives to one side, "Help! Monsters!"
 
Striker tilts his head back quickly in disgust, not 
another one. "Can't they just let us get our 
energon?!" he flies up quickly to get out of his way 
and looks down on the rest who hasn't yet.

CatsCradle snorts. "Yes, Striker, it's all a plot 
from the mindless reptiles to keep us from our 
energon."

Tempest is up a tree...crouching on a branch like 
some kind of brilliantly-plumed predatory bird...

Striker glares at Cats, "Oh will you knock it off!"

Soundwave has hovered up and out of the way, watching 
the rampaging beast with a sort of fascination.
 
CatsCradle calls, "It will probably be easiest just 
to let them chase each other away."

Megatron darts into the air, but instead of 
withdrawing, he flies towards the dinosour, shooting 
into the ground before it.

CatsCradle adds, "Or maybe not," in a softer voice

Several of the already-filled energon cubes explode 
and their energy dissipates in a pink haze.

The apatosaurus, panicked by Megatron's blast, 
lurches through the clearing to the jungle on the 
other side. Its huge tail sweeps back and forth, 
regardless of whatever it encounters...

Megatron says, "Run, you overgrown lizard, run!"

Tempest launches airborne as the creature's huge tail 
impacts her tree!

Tempest transforms into her CF-18 Hornet Jet mode.
 
Tempest transforms in mid-leap and fires her engines, 
taking to the sky!

More of the cubes are swept aside and explode.

Rumble's string of bad language can be heard out of 
the undergrowth....

Trees splinter as the creature lurches past - the 
cube explosion seems to panick it even more and it 
lurches into the forest. Gone, but the damage to the 
cubes done...

Ravage 's nose peeks out from under a very big 
leaf...

Soundwave carefully hovers back down to the ground.

Rumble waits to make /sure/ the beast is gone before 
emerging.

CatsCradle lands quietly, wisely deciding not to 
indulge in an I-told-you-so..."

Megatron lands. "Continue work! There is still plenty 
of energy!

Sludge arrives on the mysterious island.

Tempest mutters, "Why can't we build a power plant or 
somethign?" as he resumes forklift duty all over 
again.
 
CatsCradle murmurs to Soundwave, "Would it help to 
have Laserbeak hovering overhead to watch for more of 
those? Anything large enough to be a threat will be 
visible from up there through the vegetation."

Chasm sticks his head up from a bush. "I think it'll 
be safer if I just stay here..." He stares at 
Sludge... "Soundwave! Another one of those lizards... 
oh, that's right... silly me..." He gives a nervous 
titter...

Striker adds on to Cats, "Like the ones I saw that 
looked like Grimlock..."

CatsCradle says quickly, "Eeew, ick. Yes, those would 
be very agressive."

Soundwave nods to CatsCradle, but instead of 
releasing Laserbeak, he says, "Chasm, observe from 
above. You will be quite safe there as well."

Striker snickers, "Unless the big bad pterodactyls 
get him."

Chasm flaps up into the sky. "Safe at last," he 
mutters.

Sludge bounds through the treeline, tramping the wet 
grass beneath his feet as he rushes by the gathered 
Decepticons, only half conscious of their presence.
 
CatsCradle squints up at Chasm as he flies up, 
obviously wondering if the flighty dragon will keep 
his mind on his job, then returns to the energon-
cube-detail

Rumble looks for a safe place to store filled cubes, 
and settles on the hollowed-out trunk of an old tree.

Megatron says, "Stop prattling and work!"

One of the surviving energon cubes glimmers quietly 
in the corner... in a few seconds it'll be just under 
Sludge's foot...

Soundwave is half on the alert again at the renewed 
stomping and crashing through the underbrush, and 
then recognizes Sludge just as Chasm did, as one of 
Grimlock's troops.

Sludge shakes the ground as he thunders past, tail 
lashing from side to side as he chases after... 
something. "Wait for Sludge!"

Tempest mutters under her breath, "Aren't we in a 
charming mood today," with a glance at Megatron, but 
she does as she's told....

CatsCradle darts in front of Sludge, grabs the cube 
and darts away again
 
Soundwave watches Sludge a little dubiously, 
wondering if he's chasing the creature that just 
crashed through here. There's still energon to be 
gathered, though, and he once again starts producing 
empty energon cube containment fields.

Just in time, Catscradle grabs the cube and lunges to 
one side, just as Sludge's huge foot comes down...

Sludge skids to a halt, his front legs stuck out as 
he attempts to stop, digging a furrow in the soft 
land. He stops, but only manages to flip over, his 
front legs acting as a pivot point. He lands, sending 
a shockwave through the Earth. "World look different 
to Sludge now."

CatsCradle mutters, "I'd tell him to roll over, but 
think of all the damage he'd cause." She adds the 
cube to Rumble's pile

Rumble laughs! "Maybe these Dinobots ain't so bad 
after all!"

Striker fills up an energon cube, looks to Sludge and 
says, "That's cause your upside-down idiot."

Soundwave hands an empty cube to the nearest 
Decepticon (Rumble?) and walks over to Sludge. "At 
least you have stopped in time, Sludge." He regards 
the Dinobot with an amused sort of interest.

Chasm loops around in the sky, nervously trying to 
spy out flying monstrosities...

As the small pile of energon cubes glows faintly with 
swirling energies, it seems to draw the attention of 
something new, something moving and rustling in the 
bushes, keeping just out of sight.

Sludge says, "Me Sludge not idiot, me... um... Me 
Sludge not idiot."

Rumble takes the cube from Soundwave and fills it.

CatsCradle stops on her way by with more cubes and 
scratches Sludge's chin as if in spite of herself.

Megatron supervises the works, this strange fire 
still shimmering in his optics.

Tempest shivers suddenly, looking over her shoulder. 
"what's that?" she asks, again, in a harsh whisper.

Sludge rolls onto his side, using his tail to push 
himself onto his feet.

Tempest cant' see anything and can't....or can she? 
is that somethign moving? or wind?....can't quite 
seem to hear anything...but her instincts are gnawing 
at her.

Soundwave hears it too, and draws his weapon, 
stepping away from Sludge and toward the cubes, 
peering toward the undergrowth. The leaves whisper 
against each other as though from the wind, but the 
breeze has died down.

Tempest sees Soundwave move and takes down her 
swords. "Something's out there."

Soundwave nods. "Ravage, what do you detect?"

Striker urges to say something sarcastic but in spite 
of everyone's moods, he holds it in, instead, he 
draws his weapons and moves to the appointed spot.
 
(You paged Ravage with 'You'd notice infrared 
readings of five life-forms moving through the 
bushes, circling our location. About half our 
size.'.)

CatsCradle draws her own sword. She glances up at 
Chasm. "Do you see anything?" she calls up to the 
little dragon.

Sludge looks down at the ground, for some reason 
expecting to find the source of the noise there.

Chasm flaps awkwardly around in the air, carefully 
trying to scan. "I'm a technician, not a surveillance 
camera, but I'd say... er..."

Megatron demands: "More energon cubes! More I say!

Striker snarls as he glances over at Megatron, what 
/has/ gotten into him.

(You paged Chasm with 'You'd see a path of something 
moving in a circle around our location, several 
things, but hard to tell how many. You just see the 
vegetation move from above.'.)

Ravage 's head starts to track something strange in 
the bushes... his body turning with it as the 
readings seem to circle the location.

Chasm offers, "There's something down there alright. 
I can see the brush moving."

CatsCradle says, "How far and how big?""

Tempest takes her attention away from the bushes for 
just a split second to curl her lip at Megatron and 
then return her attention to whatever-it-s.
 
Tempest likes this even less than the big 
apatosaur...much less...this thing, whatever it is, 
is subtle and sly...clever...more to be feared.

Soundwave says quite reasonably, "Commander, we must 
protect the cubes we already have. The native life-
forms of this place seem rather agitated by our 
presence."

Rumble finishes filling a cube, deposits it on the 
pile, then draws his laser and stands guard over the 
pile.

Megatron says, "I don't care! This energy belongs to 
me!"

The rustling in the bushes dies down to silence.

Striker addresses Soundwave, "That's why we've got 
weapons... and that little /technician/ up there 
doesn't seem to be doing a good job of keeping 
watch."

CatsCradle mutters, "It won't belong to anyone if 
something destroys this batch, too."

Sludge transforms into humanoid form, pushing himself 
onto his feet.

Soundwave gives Megatron a questioning look, and 
replies, "And it shall be yours, Commander. However 
... this is most strange." He looks toward the 
perimeter of vegetation where suddenly there's *no* 
sound or movement at all.

Sludge says, "Sludge have bad feeling about this."

Striker moves closer to where the noise came from.

Megatron says, "Now continue to work, I will keep an 
eye on the area from above."

Tempest shakes her head. "They're getting ready to 
strike," she says, her voice strained.

Chasm retorts, "So now my job's redundant, is it?"

Striker frowns at Megatron, "Fine," and fires at the 
spot blindly before returning to work.

Something darts out of the underbrush then, a lithe 
little dromaeosaur with sickle claws and a quick 
darting head full of sharp teeth. Standing only about 
half the height of the average Transformer, it is 
none the less agile and intelligent, and leaps toward 
the strange glow of the energon cubes. Four other 
shapes burst out of the bushes after it, darting at 
the nearest Decepticons as though to distract them.

Tempest is expecting somethign like this, and slices 
reflexively!

Sludge pulls his cannon from subspace and levels it 
at one of the little things, firing off a blast.

CatsCradle mutters under her breath, "No, really, 
Diver. It was dinosaurs this time, not dragons. And I 
didn't go back in time. Back in time came to me." She 
alters her voice slightly, micmicking Diver's tone, 
if not voice. "Cats..." She resumes her own voice. 
"No, really, Diver... it wasn't my fault..."

Tempest's longblades slice one of the dinosaurs 
neatly in three, but the others are right behind 
it....

Striker turns around and fires at one of the little 
dinosaurs and hits it right on the head with his arm 
lasers.
 
Sludge obliterates one of the little dinosaurs, its 
flesh vaporizing.

Megatron hovers over the scene, opening the fire at 
once.

Rumble holds his ground in front of the cubes, 
yelling "GET LOST!" at the dinos, but hoping the 
others scare 'em off before he actually has to fight 
one.
 
Even as three of the raptors are cut down by the 
high-tech weaponry and flashing blades, the fourth 
zigzags around the Decepticons while the one that 
darted in first, sinks its foreclaws into the pile of 
energon cubes, scattering them in all directions and 
sending them up into an explosion once again.

The darting raptor is caught in a full blast by 
Megatron's cannon, and the last is thrown backwards 
by the explosion of the energon cubes, where it lies 
stunned.

Rumble is knocked somersaulting by an explosion for 
the second time today...angrily, he gets up and whips 
a rock at the raptor, screaming exceptionally foul 
words!

Sludge says, "Oh fudge."

Striker curses and is knocked back by the explosion.
 
CatsCradle ducks out of the way of the explosions, 
snarling softly. "Aw, hell..."

Soundwave shields his optics from the bright flash of 
light, but scans quickly for more activity in the 
bushes, if there should be more of them on the way.

Megatron says, "Destroy these carbonic garbage 
heaps!"

Tempest prods the corpse of her kill with her blades, 
shaking her head, looking somewhat let down. "Flesh. 
Blood. No good eating at all."

Striker transforms, arms his missles, and heads for 
the skies, "Ok damnit, I'm sick of these creatures," 
and he begins to blanket the far end of the island 
with missles, hoping to hit the creatures.
 
Striker's attack sends another cloud of pterosaurs 
flapping and screeching up into the air.
 
Fire plumes into the sky from Striker's missiles. A 
distant thundering can be heard and ground starts to 
rumble and split...

Striker transforms into his F-15 mode.

You say, “Stiker, cease! This area is unstable."

Sludge splays his feet wide, almost knocked off 
balance. "Sludge getting sick."

The last remaining raptor shakes its head and tries 
to scrabble to its feet.

Striker stops firing only after he has run out of 
missles, which happens to be just 2 missles after 
Soundwave's order.

Sludge targets the remaining Raptor, levelling off a 
sustained volley of fire.

CatsCradle quickly steps away from Sludge's sick-
range.

Soundwave rises up from the ground.

Megatron says, "I want the energy of this island!"

Tempest mutters, "We're going about this the wrong 
way...kill the natives, /then/ take the plunder."

Striker yells over the radios, "Then why don't you 
get down there and fill the cubes up yourself!"

The last raptor manages to disappear into the bushes, 
Sludge's aim having been thrown off by the 
earthquake. How much better it might have been for 
this one to have joined its pack in oblivion.

Megatron shoots after the dinosour. "And you will not 
stop me!"
 
Sludge raises his gun, an honest look of 
disappointment on his face. "Fudge this."

CatsCradle hisses at Striker, "Did the brig and house 
arrest teach you nothing?"

Striker can't beleive he just said that out loud.

[OOC] CatsCradle laughs. I have this sudden image of 
Strker with both hands clapped over his mouth and 
huge panicked optics...

Megatron lands in front of Striker, his optics 
burning. "You dare to critizise Megatron?" he snarls 
dangerously.

Striker transforms into his Robot mode.

Soundwave shakes his head and gives Striker a warning 
glare, then detects something from his position in 
the air. In hopes of staving off a confrontation and 
settling Megatron's foul mood, he announces, "Another 
energy source detected. This one appears to be in a 
more defensible position."

Tempest's expressoin wipes clear. She watches 
Megatron and STriker, showing absolutely nothing, her 
optics two chips of ruby ice.

Chasm flaps down and lands on Soundwave's shoulder. 
"There's that sensation again..."

Striker just stares at Megatron for a few minutes, 
but decides it's best not to continue.
 
Sludge says, "Sludge think we get rid of pesties 
before we make cubes."

Tempest nods, looking rather pleasantly surprised by 
the Dinobot's suggestion.

Soundwave hovers still in mid air, having noticed a 
bubbling lava pit nearby on a rocky highland. But he 
waits for Megatron to sort out discipline.

Megatron, about to rise his cannon at Stiker, hears 
Soundwave. "So what are you waiting for? Get the 
energon!"

CatsCradle smiles up at Sludge. "Too bad you just 
can't tell your organic cousins to leave us alone, 
huh, Sludge?"

Soundwave looks at Chasm. "Which sensation, Chasm? 
Has anything triggered what you wished to remember?"

Chasm gingerly turns his tail over in his claws, "Not 
yet." He beams, "I get the impression it's very 
important, however!"

Megatron flies over to Soundwave.

Sludge looks to Cats, not sure wethere she's serious 
or joking. "Sludge have two brothers."

Soundwave says quietly, "Perhaps when we have a good 
supply of energon cubes and our leader has becalmed 
himself, we will pursue it."
 
Chasm mutters, "He's a bit tetchy today, isn't he?"

Striker gives one last glance at Megatron before 
flying off towards Soundwave to start getting more 
energon, hopefully, this time they won't explode.

Soundwave points to the bubbling tar pit faintly 
visible among a rocky stretch beyond the trees.

CatsCradle starts to say something else to Sludge, 
pauses, then smiles again. "Yes, Sludge." She pats 
the Dinobot gently, frowning slightly over at the 
conversation between Soundwave and Chasm.

Rumble nods a little to Chasm, but doesnt' want to 
attract Megatron's attention.

You paged Chasm with '(tel) (you get a sense of 
Soundwave experimentally trying to see if he can 
reach your mind - not so much an invasive move as a 
reflex)'.

Sludge would blush if such a thing were possible.

Chasm pages: Chasm is really panicking. Obviously 
this is much more important than what he lead on. 
Random images swirl around, none of them making any 
sense. "I must remember, I must remember," he repeats 
to himself. In his focused state, he hasn't noticed 
Soundwave's 'intrusion'...

Soundwave follows along with Striker and lands on the 
rocks by the side of the tar pit, beginning for the 
third time to generate empty energon containment 
fields. For the briefest of moments he pauses in his 
motions as though having caught some sensation - the 
quickest glance toward Chasm - then he continues.

Rumble sighs, and resumes forklift duty again. He 
mutters at the smell of the tar pits. "NOTHING is 
gonna wanna come anywhere NEAR here...INCLUDIN' me."

Soundwave says quietly to the little dragon on his 
shoulder, "Perhaps, Chasm, you should speak to me of 
what you do remember. To speak it aloud may trigger 
the memory of what is so vital. Of course there is 
always another option..." He does not finish the 
thought, seeing as Chasm has always steadfastly 
rejected the possibility.

CatsCradle goes to start ferrying cubes again, but 
glances at Chasm briefly before she grins at Rumble. 
"Could be worse. Remember making the gunpowder?"

Rumble gives Catscradle a small smile. "Yeah, and we 
don't have to listen to Starscream's stupid plots 
either."

Sludge looks around, growing a little antsy. "Sludge 
go find dinos and make them behave."

CatsCradle chuckles. "Too bad Sludge can't speak 
dinosaur."
 
Soundwave nods to Sludge a little absently. 
Mechanically he goes through the motions of producing 
the cubes, and once there's enough of a stack, he 
starts tapping into the energy of the tarpit - but 
mentally he's listening closely for anything of 
interest from Chasm, and also surreptitiously keeping 
an audial sensor tuned to Megatron.

Sludge bounds towards the underbrush, his rifle held 
tightly in one hand. He disappears into the thick 
forest, leaving only a seismic shudder in his wake.

Chasm stares at Sludge, "It's something about him. 
He's important for some reason... But why is he with 
us? It didn't happen like this the first time. They 
were only loyal to Prime.. There must have been some 
fork in reality... and it went differently... Does 
that mean that this reality is different? Does that 
mean it's not going to happen the same way again?"
 
Tempest snorts as Sludge leaves, murmurs, "Happy 
hunting," and picks up a cube, not at all happy with 
the way this day is turning out. For a moment she 
pauses....glances skyward...sighs, and resumes work.

Striker frowns and picks up an empty cube to fill.

The sharp sound of lasers pierces the still air.

Soundwave pauses and listens intently to Chasm, the 
half-filled cube in his hands. "If I knew more about 
the reality from which you claim to have travelled, 
perhaps I could help formulate an answer to that."

Megatron hears the laser and jerks around. "What was 
that?"

CatsCradle tilts her head at the sound of the lasers. 
"With our luck, Sludge will accidently herd more 
dinosaurs back towards us instead of away.

Striker carelessly slides the full energon cube away 
from him as he grabs another.

You say, “Chasm, aerial reconnaissance!"

Tempest freezes, then relaxes. "Probably Sludge 
roasting anything that moves...sir." Her voice 
suggests she'd prefer to be out there with him.

Fierce cries of pain and surprise ring out from deep 
within the tropical forest, and deep pounding thuds 
like cluster bombs shake the ground.

Chasm sighs and flaps up again.
 
Striker says, "That doesn't sound like Sludge's 
work..."

You say, “The footfalls of native creatures."

CatsCradle says, "Native meaning dinosaurs, or native 
meaning something else?""

Megatron murmures. "No, that doesn't sound like 
Sludge..." He orders. "Battlestations, Decepticons! 
Defend the energon!"

The leaves of nearby trees begin to rustle gently, 
then shake violently. The the din simply dies down.
 
Tempest hisses, cubes forgotten and blades in her 
hands again.

Striker snarls and transforms, fighting from the sky 
just seems more... natural.

Striker transforms into his F-15 mode.

A huge explosion crackles through the air, and a 
roiling red and black mushroom cloud of fire and 
smoke erupts near the island's center.

Soundwave has his own weapon out and is standing 
guard by the small pile of energon cubes that has 
been re-gathered, ready to defend it from any 
charging creatures that come toward the tar pit.

Striker says, "That definently is NOT Sludge's work!"

CatsCradle mutters something that sounds suspiciously 
like staying at home next time.

Rumble says, "The Autobots must be back and I'll bet 
they're mad!"

Striker says, "Yea, and me without my missles."

Sludge pushes his way through the forest into the 
clearing, his outer armor stained with a thick layer 
of black soot. He coughs, a bit of smoke escaping his 
throat. He waves a hand in front of his face and 
wrinkles his nose. "Sludge say it all clear."

Soundwave shifts his grip on his weapon. "There is 
something to be said for restraint, Striker," he 
comments, and though his voice is harmonic as ever, 
there's something chastising about the undertone.

CatsCradle grins without much humor at Striker. 
"That'll teach you to conserve them."
 
Chasm calls back, "I can't see any Autobots..."

Tempest asks, "What was it, Sludge? Autobots?"

Sludge says, "Dinos no make noise again."

Soundwave tilts his head a little and regards Sludge. 
"Your method of making natives behave?" he guesses.

Sludge says, "Sludge dig pit with bomb, push dinos 
in. Make it go *boom*."

Tempest laughs. "I think I like you, Sludge." Her 
optics flash wickedly.

Soundwave nods once in acknowledgement, and puts away 
his weapon, getting back to work.
 
Sludge sits down on his rear end and places his hands 
to either side of him, sneezing as some of the soot 
crawls up his nose.

CatsCradle chuckles and ferries another load of cubes

You paged Chasm with '(tel) (Soundwave once again 
checks in on Chasm's mental state, a note of concern 
in the contact)'.

The bubbling energies of the tar pit swirl up and 
fill the cubes, one by one.

Rumble mutters, "If any dinosaurs show up right now 
I'm gonna earthquake 'em into oblivion."

Sludge says, "Dinos all part of barbecue now."

Megatron watches the filling of the cubes. "Splendid! 
This place our key to victory.
 
Striker mumbles under his breath, "Now where've I 
heard that before?"
 
Chasm pages: An image begins to stir in your mind, 
gleaned from Chasm's whirling memories...
Chasm pages: There's a strange skewed image and then 
it resolves. There are some recognisable features and 
not so recognisable features.
“...and if he isn't stopped, he could destroy the 
reality,” an unfamiliar greenish-grey mech is saying.
Starscream laughs, "Ashraker, the entire universe is 
full of realities. Get over it."
Soundwave says quietly, "Ashraker, we cannot risk 
endangering the continuum further. The most effective 
way to restrain him is when he will return to 
Andraxus."
“And let a reality be destroyed? Could that not 
impact upon the rest of the continuum?” Ashraker 
queries. Soundwave says, "Insufficient information."
A small, brightly coloured mech adds sourly, "Why are 
you so concerned about /this/ particular reality, 
Ashraker? I mean, we all know that Andraxus will 
last. Our timeline is secure."
Ashraker nods, "But there are other worlds than 
ours."
Sting snorts, "This is the prime nexus. I mean if the 
fragging Master of Khalier wants to kill every 
Dinobot in every reality, do I give a flying 
fricassied fin? Nope."
Starscream folds his arms, "What's so important about 
/this/ reality, anyway Ashraker? You didn't bother 
when we totalled that weird Egyptian-themed 
Cybertron. Man, that was weird."
Ashraker says quietly, "They are Decepticons."
Fffffffxzzzt.
The image shatters...


CatsCradle mutters to Striker, "Probably right before 
your last trip to the brig."
 
Soundwave once again pauses in his work as he listens 
to something apparently far away.

Striker mutters to Cats, "No, actually, that time it 
was Straxus, and... err, nevermind."

Chasm suddenly falls off Soundwave's shoulder. "My 
head..." he moans...

CatsCradle sighs. "The point, Striker, is to watch 
what you say and who you say it around." She looks up 
suddenly as Chasm topples over. "Oh, that doesn't 
look good..."
 
Soundwave shifts quickly to try and catch the little 
dragon before he hits the ground, forgetting about 
the energon.

Chasm tries to scrabble upwards to his feet. "What 
was that?" He croaks. "Damn, I've lost the image now. 
It was all so clear a few seconds ago..."

Chasm coils his tail around Soundwave's hand, rather 
distressed about the entire circumstances...

Soundwave crouches by Chasm. "Allow me to assist," he 
says quietly. "If you will cease blocking my 
telepathic contact, I can play back to you what 
little I caught in the fringes of your thoughts."

Chasm holds up a paw, "You're staying out of my mind. 
Can't you just /tell/ me what you saw?"

Something glides in from overhead, watching the small 
gathering of Decepticons. It looks like a 
pterodactyl, but this one gleams of metal...

You say, "It will be more immediate if you see it. 
But very well. There was an image of a conversation 
between Starscream and myself and others whom I did 
not recognize. A conversation regarding timelines and 
alternate realities, and the killing of Dinobots.""

[OOC] Sludge says, "Sludge not like mind meld. Mind 
like open book, but book not written yet."
[OOC] Soundwave has already looked into your mind, 
Sludge. :)
[OOC] Sludge says, "Then Soundwave know Sludge 
secretly want to be a pianist"

Chasm frowns, "You were plotting with Starscream to 
kill the Dinobots?"

Megatron shakes his head, as if unconsciously trying 
to get clear again.

Sludge looks up, squinting. "Sludge take care of 
dinos..." He levels his gun, squeezing off a round.

You say, “Not that I could detect. The conversation 
had to do with protecting alternate realities, from 
what I could gather."

Swoop easily dodges to one side, "Me know you!" he 
croaks, "You evil Dinobot! We look like but different 
inside..."
 
Soundwave looks up in a moment of almost annoyance as 
Sludge fires off another shot, then recognizes the 
Autobot Dinobot and quickly gets to his feet, 
carrying Chasm along.

Sludge says, "Me not bad, me just drawn that way!"

Tempest hisses at the newcomer...but stays out of 
Sludge's way.

Sludge takes aim again, squeezing off a double round.

Swoop drops his cluster bombs on Sludge, "You leave 
now! This island is Dinobot property!"

CatsCradle pops her wrist lasers and fires at Swoop

Striker leaps into the air with a, "We'll see about 
that!"

Megatron looks up. "Destroy this flying Pest!" He 
fires.

Striker transforms into his F-15 mode.

Soundwave hurriedly gathers up the energon cubes, 
slipping Chasm onto his shoulder, lest their stash be 
destroyed a third time.

A sharp quake starts to rock the ground from the 
other direction. Boulders are tumbling everywhere.

Striker pulls up behind Swoop and fires at him with 
missles, but there's only a clicking sound as he 
remember he's all out so he fires at him with his 
chainguns.

Sludge is thrown forcibly to one side by the bomb's 
impact, rolling to a stop.

Megatron says, "Chasm, make yourself useful and find 
out where the Autobots are."

Swoop easily dodges the Decepticon fire attack. "You 
'cons aim BAD!"

Sludge takes a huge clump of dirt in his hand and 
launches it at Swoop.

Megatron says, "No-one can tell me this one came 
alone."

Chasm clings to Soundwave's shoulder. "I'm having a 
mental and emotional crisis and he wants me to work? 
Gah."
 
Striker says, "Oh yea?"

Megatron says, "That will be the best cure for your 
crisis. Go!"

You say, “Concentrate on your task, Chasm. First we 
get the energon to safety, then we will continue 
investigation."

Swoop laughs and drops a cluster of bombs towards the 
energon stockpile. "Swoop stop you GOOD!"

Chasm leaps up in the air, circling, "Megatron! 
There's a spiky one over there!"

Striker flies right at it but misses and slams into a 
tree, "Ouch that hurt," transfoms off of the ground, 
clutches his head, and aims his arm blasters at the 
dinobot.

Soundwave hovers up with an armful of energon cubes, 
though he can't carry them all by himself.

Sludge takes aim at the bombs, in a vain attempt to 
intercept them.

Striker transforms into his Robot mode.

A vain attempt indeed as the shots go wide of their 
target.

Megatron says, "That one is mine!"

Luckily, CatsCradle's shot knocks Swoop's aim off at 
the last minute, causing the missiles to plough up 
into the air, short of where the energy is stocked...

Rumble tries again to protect the energon, sniping at 
the Autobots.

Sludge picks up a tree, throwing it at Swoop.

Rumble feels a thrill of pride as his shot strikes!

Striker's shots are missing badly due to his... 
headache from the tree accident.

Megatron leaps up, ready to take care of Snarl.

Snarl thumps his tail into the ground. Cracks start 
racing towards Megatron.

CatsCradle fires again at Swoop

Sludge says, "Me not like these dinos."

Soundwave drops his armload of energon cubes further 
downslope among the trees, and then returns to the 
battle, flying toward Snarl and firing off a burst of 
plasma.

Swoop dodges to one side, doing a complicated aerial 
roll to avoid the incoming fire. He lets off another 
cluster of bombs towards the energon stockpile, "You 
no take!"
 
Sludge shoots again at the bombs.

CatsCradle mutters as her shot misses. "The organic 
ones were easier to deal with. She quickly jumps in 
front of the energon and throws up her 'field against 
Swoop's bombs

Sludge says, "Sludge hate, Sludge hate this gun!"

Megatron hovers above. "Fool!" He flies a loop 
towards a herd of Dinosaurs, grinning.

Tempest transforms into her CF-18 Hornet Jet mode.
Tempest goes airborne, trying to strafe Snarl from 
above!

Striker notices the land dino Snarl, and begins 
taking shots at him, from the ground while Tempest 
attacks from above.

Sludge whips his stupid gun at Swoop.
 
Striker's shots from his arm lasers hit the dinobot 
in the side, distracting it from attacking the 
others.

Soundwave tries to distract Snarl with the plasma 
shot, giving Megatron a chance to put his plan into 
action.
 
Swoop and Snarl are being pressed back along the 
ridge... Snarl grunts and keeps trying to crack the 
ground open near Megatron. "You fall!"
 
Megatron fires at the ground behind the creatures, 
trying to force them to stampede - right in Snarls 
direction. "Move, you brainless organics!"

Sludge leaps into the air, trying to cut Snarl down 
with a fatal karate kick.

Sludge misses by a wide margin, colliding with a 
tree.
 
Snarl hisses, "You not wax on, wax off.."

Striker sneaks off into the shadow's of the trees.

Sludge gathers himself up and attempts to throw a 
huge boulder at Snarl.

The herd of dinosaurs, frustrated by Megatron's 
blasts, explode out of the trees, tramping through 
the group of Decepticons, being herded towards Snarl 
like a herd of maddened bulls...
 
Snarl edges back along the cliff. "This not look 
good," he says.

Striker has snuck around behind the dinobot and 
leaped up onto his back!

Striker's pounding on Snarl is in vain as the 
stampeding dinosaurs knock him off.

Tempest circles overhead, a yellow vulture, watching 
the stampede and laughing.

Megatron says, "That's it, you overgrown lizards, 
drive the Dinobot back. He can't fight all of you!"

Soundwave motions to Striker to get out of the way, 
but too late as the organic Dinosaurs crash into 
their metallic counterparts.

Megatron says, "Force him into the tar pit!"

As Snarl paces backwards, the ground starts to 
suddenly give beneath him! He tries to fire at the 
herd of dinosaurs, but the mindless fury of the 
raging reptiles is enough to force him back... and 
back...

Megatron laughs!
  
Without warning, the ground cracks away beneath 
Snarl! He topples off the ledge - gone from the field 
of vision! A few dinos fall off the lip of the cliff 
as well, lemming-like, and then once they see the 
cliff, try to edge back down the slope again, trying 
to disperse back into the jungle.

Swoop breaks off his attack and glides down. "Snarl! 
You need help?"

Rumble stays well back from the stampeding creatrures 
that are all so much bigger than him.

Swoop carefully circles over the lip of the tar pit.

Soundwave fires a barrage of plasma at Swoop, hoping 
to knock him down into the tar as well.

Striker has fallen off the edge as well but has 
grabbed ahold of the ledge.

Tempest fires on Swoop too, doing everything she can 
to make sure he doesn't recover from the fall!

CatsCradle's 'field flickers and dies out, and she 
quickly draws her laser pistol, firing at Swoop

Striker's shot hits Swoop in the anti-grav engines! 
Startled, the second Dinobot's engines cut out for a 
brief moment, enough to send him hurtling into the 
tar pit!

Snarl and Swoop start to sink into the tar. Little 
dinosaurs, their living replicas, start to struggle 
around them, dying...
 
Tempest resumes her somewhat ominous circling over 
the tar pit, watching the deaths below.

Soundwave comes back to a landing near CatsCradle and 
the energon cubes.

Striker lays down on his back with his legs hanging 
over the cliff, "Whew, can we just get the cubes and 
get out of this damn dino ridden place?"

CatsCradle grins. "You know, that's the most sensible 
thing Striker's said all day."

You say, “I would concur, CatsCradle."

Tempest circules down to land.

Tempest transforms into her Robot mode.

Chasm nods, "I agree... I need a long oilsoak..."

Tempest mutters, "Let's cut our losses...take the 
energon and get outta here."

Striker frowns and gives Cats a back-off look.

CatsCradle grins again at Soundwave.

Chasm stares at his finish again. "And I've got this 
scratch too! It will take me hours to buff that out."
 
Megatron says, "These stupid Autobot allies will 
trouble us no further! Now nothing stands between us 
and the vast energies of this prehistorical island!"

CatsCradle says to Chasm, "It will be a soothing 
task."

You say, “I believe you have more pressing concerns 
than a scratch to your finish, Chasm."

Chasm sighs, "Maybe if I have a rest and come back 
later, eh? It can't be that important, can't it?"

Tempest glances over at Megatron. He seems 
unnaturally obsessive even for him, and between that 
and the strange sensation of the island's energies 
that's making her instincts prickle, she just wants 
out of this.

Soundwave nods to Chasm. "If we retrieve the 
remaining energon from this pit and take it back to 
base, you will have your rest. However, I think you 
and I should have a discussion as well."
 
While Striker is laying on the ground, he tilts his 
head just enough to see Megatron and say, "Megatron, 
I /really/ don't feel like getting anymore of this 
energy, all it ever does is explode, maybe you'd like 
the pleasure of gathering some of it?" But, he does 
get up and fill one energon cube, just to show he's 
not /trying/ to be sarcastic.

Chasm sighs melodramatically, "Soundwave, I fear that 
further physical exertion could send my delicate 
mental state toppling into an even further dark 
spiral!

CatsCradle stares at Striker in amazement. "He really 
is trying to get himself killed, isn't he?" she 
murmurs

Megatron shoots in the ground beside Striker. "Work!"

Tempest takes her attention away from Megatron and 
Striker, looking at Chasm...snorting as he talks. 
Delicate mental state indeed....

Soundwave just shakes his head and opens his tape 
compartment to let Chasm in, deciding things will go 
faster if he just fills cubes alone and they get back 
to base.

Striker doesn't really seemed bothered by the warning 
shot, he still isn't filling them, instead, he's 
walked over and is resting near a broken tree, the 
same one he crashed into earlier.

Soundwave looks at Striker in some surprise, and 
warns, "Striker, I do not recommend this action."
 
Chasm slinks into the tape compartment...

Megatron attacks Striker with cannon1, but misses 
him!
 Megatron attacks Striker with cannon1, and strikes 
him!

CatsCradle leans closer to Tempest. "Was this what 
prompted the incident with Straxus?"

Soundwave steps back a little as Megatron does the 
expected and finally loses his temper completely.

Tempest says, "I wasn't there. Straxus is more easily 
provoked than Megatron...."

Striker watches as the first shot slams into the 
ground, and lurches forward as the second slamms into 
his chest.

Megatron says, "I said: work!!""

Tempest adds, "But Striker is...a foolish child 
sometimes."

CatsCradle shakes her head. "He's had more than 
enough warnings, even before today."

Tempest shakes her head, her optics taking on a cold 
and ugly light as if she's decided something.

Striker slowly recovers himself and glances up at 
Tempest, having overheard what she said.
 
Soundwave makes no comment, but continues to fill 
energon cubes, not even giving Striker a reproachful 
look.
 
Tempest curls her lip at Striker, hissing softly.

Megatron glances around. The light in his optics 
warning each of them of trying to dare him.

Tempest locks optics with Megatron for a second and 
then deliberately turns away, returing to the 
filling-cubes task.

Soundwave gets a decent pile of energon cubes 
together by now. With much of the landscape around 
them a smoking wreckage due to the the battles that 
were fought, the Autobot Dinobots buried deep within 
the tar, and the organic natives that remain, not 
willing to come anywhere near the Decepticons now, it 
should be an easy task to finish collecting.
 
Striker glances up at Tempest again and reluctantly 
crawls over and fills a single energon cube.

Eventually the pile of cubes reaches a point where 
there are just enough to be able to be carried back 
by those present.

Chasm not wanting to return to his nightmarish mental 
state, forces himself to move around. He hovers over 
an energon cube, carefully testing it. "Hmm, an 
excellent crop. Perhaps I should investigate this 
further..."

A radio transmission is received by Megatron.
You intercept a message from Thunderwing: "*very 
abruptly* Megatron, I would have words with you."

Striker angrily glances down at the damage caused by 
the blast, all the paint has be seered away and his 
cockpit is totally destroyed.
 
Tempest transforms into her CF-18 Hornet Jet mode.

Megatron looks at the pile. "Excellent," he states, 
condented. "We will take those to base, while Sludge 
guards the island.

Tempest says, "Load 'em up," popping her canopy.

Chasm sits on Soundwave's shoulder, carefully 
supervising the operation.
 
Striker carefully moves over and begins loading 
energon cubes into Tempest

Soundwave carries an armful of energon cubes over to 
Tempest and starts piling them into her cockpit. "It 
would be beneficial to you, Chasm, to assist," he 
notes.
 
CatsCradle transforms into her Jet mode.

Megatron transmits a message via radio.

Rumble heaves some cubes into the yellow jet's 
cockpit.

CatsCradle transforms and silently waits for her own 
load of cubes
 
Soundwave piles some cubes into CatsCradle's cockpit 
as well, as the glowing pile of energon gets smaller 
and smaller, readied for its journey back to 
Decepticon base.

Chasm gingerly takes a cube and makes a show of 
loading it.

Striker loads up one more energon cube before telling 
the yellow jet that her cockpit's full.
 
A radio transmission is received by Megatron.
You intercept a message from Thunderwing: "The same 
urgency that would prompt me to visit this -charming- 
world. You have been experiencing...disturbances in 
reality, have you not?"

Tempest slams her canopy shut and prepares to take 
off, waiting for Cats to be loaded as well.

Soundwave sighs a little to himself. Between Chasm 
and Striker and Megatron's aggravated mood, he's 
going to have his hands full sorting things out 
again.

Chasm loads his single cube and returns to 
Soundwave's should, huffing. "That was a lot of work. 
Let's go."

Soundwave finishes loading CatsCradle.

CatsCradle lowers her canopy closed, still quiet.

Soundwave steps back over to Megatron, waiting for 
him to lead the way back.
 
Megatron says, "To base!"

Megatron takes off.

Tempest fires her engines and follows...behind, not 
beside.

Megatron transmits a message via radio.
 
Striker reluctantly transforms and flies off as well.

CatsCradle follows the others


[travel time]


Engine Room

        Once one of the most important areas of the 
ship, the engine room now serves only to house most 
of the control systems, the conning tower to the 
surface, and the central computer. A large console 
provides access to the main computer and detailed 
information about its operational status. The main 
engines still remain in place, but most of the 
peripheral machinery and materials were removed once 
it was determined the ship would never fly again. 
Consequently, most of the adjacent rooms are empty, 
awaiting future expansion.

Chasm [Dragon] 
Striker [Robot] 
Megatron [Robot] 
RandE Office
Obvious exits:
 <D> Down leads to Brig.
 <N> North leads to Training Complex.
 <T> Tower leads to Conning Tower.
 
A radio transmission is received by Megatron.
You intercept a message from Thunderwing: "I will 
speak to you at a time and place of your convenience. 
Somehow, mere radio would not be...right."
 
Megatron transmits a message via radio.
 
Soundwave starts unloading the energon cubes from 
CatsCradle's cockpit.
 
A radio transmission is received by Megatron.
You intercept a message from Thunderwing: "*dryly* 
...yes, but that would be something of a waste of 
energy, would it not, as I am already on Earth."
 
Megatron seems to be calmer again. The strange fire 
in his optics is gone.

Soundwave glances aside at Megatron curiously, but 
continues unloading energon until it's all piled up 
here in the Engine Room.

Tempest arrives from Training Complex.

You say, “Commander, will you require me to accompany 
you to this meeting?"

Tempest glances at the energon in the engine room. 
She's dumped hers in the Energon Storage room...

Megatron transmits a message via radio.
  
Tempest hopes that if she stays silent, no one will 
bring it up to her. She crouches on a crate in the 
corner of the room.

Soundwave as so often seems to know what's going on 
before anything is said. But then, he *does* have 
that radio intercept ability.

A radio transmission is received by Megatron.
You intercept a message from Thunderwing: "*-very- 
diplomatically* I already informed you of my presence 
on Earth... But no matter, I am on my way."
 
Megatron smirks at Soundwave. "Reading minds again?

Soundwave gives Megatron a blankly innocent look.

Megatron says, "Yes, I want you to take part in my 
meeting with Thunderwing."
 
The tower machinery hums to itself as the tower 
retracts with another passenger.
 
The doors slide open revealing Thunderwing in the 
tower lift.
 
Thunderwing has arrived.

Striker glances up at the newest occupant in the 
room.

CatsCradle says very softly, "Oh, my... we're 
becoming a resort area. Cybertronians from all over 
coming to visit..."

In the corner, on top of a crate, a pair of ruby 
optics focus on the newcomer. They belong to a yellow 
flyer who crouches animal-like in the darkness, a 
small female bearing dented armour, scratched paint, 
and badly painted imitations of the Decepticon logo 
on her wings.

CatsCradle transforms into her Robot mode.
 
Soundwave moves another step over to Megatron's side, 
and nods slightly to the new arrival.
 
Thunderwing enters, looking marginally impressed with 
his surroundings for once. Well, it's an improvement 
to all that dust outside, anyway. Pale optics fall 
upon each occupant of the room in turn, finally 
coming to rest on Megatron. The Valckastan inclines 
his head by way of greeting, but seems just a 
little...distracted.

Megatron orders: "Take the Energon to the storage 
room!" Then he welcomes his guest: "Greetings 
Thunderwing.

Thunderwing waits patiently enough, uttering a 
simple, "Megatron."

Megatron gestures towards the northern door. "Please, 
follow me."

Tempest pauses, studying Thunderwing as an animal 
might study an intruder in its territory...turns and 
gives Megatron an enigmatic glance and then moves at 
last, picking up some more cubes.

Megatron enters Training Complex <<N> 
North>.
Megatron has left.

You enter Training Complex.

Training Complex

        A very large section comprised of several 
areas where the Decepticons gather for training 
excerises. The firing range allows users to practice 
their ranged weapon skills against holographic 
targets. The arena has five seperate dueling areas to 
allow Decepticons to test one another in combat. 
Although normally used strictly for practice and 
sparring, the arena can be used for actual duels to 
settle a dispute. There is a seperate area for 
enagaging computer-controled opponents in hand-to-
hand combat.

Megatron [Robot]
Obvious exits:
 <N> North leads to Armory.
 <W> West leads to Science Section.
 <D> Down leads to Living Quarters.
 <S> South leads to Engine Room.

Tempest arrives from Engine Room.

Chasm arrives from Engine Room.

Thunderwing arrives from Engine Room.

Megatron enters Armory <<N> North>.
Megatron has left.

You enter Armory.

Armory

        A vast collection of securely stored 
munitions and ordinance fills this room. All manner 
of the weaponry of the Empire can be found here on 
display in various cases and cabinets. The room is a 
litte more than 90 feet tall, making it more than 
twice the height of the average Decepticon. A catwalk 
runs along the wall midway up, while the very tallest 
items occupy the center of the room and stretch 
almost to the ceiling. Although the items are on 
display, there are still a good deal of security 
measures in place to prevent unauthorized access.

Megatron [Robot]
Obvious exits:
 <E> East leads to Energon Storage.
 <N> North leads to Access Corridor.
 <W> West leads to Equipment Storage.
 <S> South leads to Training Complex.

Chasm arrives from Training Complex.

Chasm enters Access Corridor <<N> North>.
Chasm has left.

Thunderwing arrives from Training Complex.

Megatron enters Access Corridor <<N> 
North>.
Megatron has left.

You enter Access Corridor.

Access Corridor

        A long narrow hallway with four doors leading 
to different parts of the base. Each door has a 
security panel beside it to monitor access in and out 
of the base locations. The lighting here is muted and 
the room has no other features, giving it a sparse 
utilitarian feel.

Megatron [Robot]
Obvious exits:
 <N> North leads to Command Center.
 <E> East leads to Energon Storage.
 <W> West leads to Repair Bay.
 <S> South leads to Armory.

Thunderwing arrives from Armory.

Megatron enters Command Center <<N> 
North>.
Megatron has left.

Thunderwing enters Command Center <<N> 
North>.
Thunderwing has left.
 
You enter Command Center.

Command Center

        This circular room was formerly the bridge 
when the base was a viable spaceship. Now used as the 
Command Center, it is dominated by the large central 
viewing screen. The screen is linked to the main 
computer system, and can display anything from 
energon production reports to tactical updates to 
topside weather information. The various other bridge 
control stations have been converted to monitor and 
control the various mechanisms and activities of the 
base. They curve around the room from the door to the 
central viewscreen.

Thunderwing [Robot] 
Megatron [Robot] 
Chasm [Dragon]
Obvious exits:
 <S> South leads to Access Corridor.

Soundwave accompanies Megatron, Chasm still on his 
shoulder.

Chasm coils his tail around Soundwave's neck, rather 
loosely.
 
Megatron says, "Chasm, you wait outside."

Soundwave speaks up, "It is possible, Commander, that 
Chasm may have some insight into this matter."

Megatron narrows his optics. "You are responsible for 
him, Soundwave."

Soundwave inclines his head. "Always, it seems."

Megatron says, "Now, Thunderwing, what is so 
important that you wanted to talk to me personally?"

Chasm smirks demurely.

Thunderwing the Unflappable has finally 
become...flapped, it would seem. Oh, he's still as 
rigidly under control as always...almost, but there 
is something definitely edgy about the short paces he 
takes, the meaningless patterns in the air his hands 
form as some semblance of structured thought is 
attempted. Finally, he stops short and turns a direct 
gaze upon Megatron and Soundwave, cutting through 
their conversation and right to the heart of the 
matter, "You have been experiencing...disturbances in 
time, have you not?" Not really a question, that, in 
spite of the tone.
 
Chasm says, "Do dinosaurs count?"

Thunderwing looks at the dragon, as though seeing it 
for the first time, and nods, "Very probably." That 
is, if he had the foggiest what a dinosaur was...

Megatron says, "We had a time travel, yes."
 
Megatron says, "Why?"

Thunderwing smirks at the Emperor, "What would you 
say to the theory that it seems like it might get 
worse than that. To the point of tearing apart the 
fabric of reality itself." Never one to pass up an 
opportunity for melodrama, this one.
 
Megatron folds his arms in front of his chest, 
watching Thunderwing attentively. "What makes you 
believe this could be possible?"

Soundwave states calmly, "There has been an incident 
of a land-mass appearing where it had not previously 
existed, an area apparently trapped in a more distant 
time. Several of our warriors have also of late taken 
a journey back into this planet's history and 
returned unharmed. We have noticed no other ill 
effects."
 
Chasm flicks his tail back and forth, rather 
irritatedly.
  
Chasm pages: I'm pretty sure that I'm not from around 
here, either.

Megatron waits for an answer.
 
You paged Chasm with '(tel) (Soundwave tries to send 
a sense of reassurance and patience if he can get 
through to any part of Chasm's mind ... essentially 
"be calm and observe")'.
 
Thunderwing nods to Soundwave and frowns, 
"Interesting. I do not know what to make of it, of 
course. Yet." The last is bitten off with the 
frustration of one who can -almost- grasp the hidden 
properties of this, but falls piteously short, 
nonetheless. "We experienced something similar on 
Cybertron. A dead city flickering to life for a 
moment. A signal reporting the capture of an Autobot 
city. Shockwave was investigating that, last I heard 
from him." He looks up again, grudging marvel 
lighting his optics, "And I have been 
visited...warned. All these disturbances. They are 
caused by someone."
 
Megatron says, "It still can be an Autobot trick. Or 
do you already know the one who is responsible?"

Soundwave tilts his head a bit in curiousity as 
Thunderwing mentions a visit and a warning.
 
Thunderwing shakes his head, the beginnings of 
frustration edging its way into his consciousness 
again, "No, I was never told who was behind this, but 
I find it highly unlikely that the Autobots would 
have developed such a mode of transport without us 
knowing it." He stares into the middle distance, 
trying to recapture that one moment, 
"Reality...shifted. It was..." Realising he's 
slipping out of 'dispassionate and jaded', he shrugs 
and continues in a much drier fashion, "It was quite 
unique. Apparently, my visitor was from our world, 
and yet not. You are familiar with the theory of 
parallel universes, I take it?" The last was 
definitely directed at Soundwave. Scholars seek out 
scholars...
 
You say, “I have had some experience with the 
concept."

Megatron has realized that Thunderwing addressed 
Soundwave, but nevertheless he answers: "Yes, I am, 
Thunderwing."
 
Soundwave glances at Chasm on his shoulder for a 
moment, then looks back at Thunderwing with interest. 
"You suggest that not only have we seen portals in 
time, but also portals between universes?"
 
Chasm is slowly shaking his head.

Megatron says, "Now you got a visit from an 
inhabitant of our world, but from another universe, 
caused by that rift in time and space."

Megatron says, "Now get to the bottom of it! Who was 
that visitor and what was the message!"

Thunderwing nods at Soundwave, a slight shift in his 
stance reflecting absolute relief at finding someone 
whose mind is capable of keeping up with the 
explanations without getting bogged down in the 
details. "Exactly." He nods to Megatron too, 
"Possibly, but not quite. It is my belief that my 
visitor, Ashraker, could trigger such events himself. 
But I cannot confirm this, so..." He shrugs and 
continues his narrative, finally hitting his pace.

Soundwave's optic band flickers slightly at the 
mention of the name "Ashraker." He's heard this 
before, and very recently.
 
Thunderwing continues, voice laced with strange 
regret as he speaks of his visitor, "Ashraker was, by 
his own account, at one point under my command. The 
differences between his world and ours can be left 
for later, save for the fact that some of its 
inhabitants seem able to manipulate time and space at 
their whim...and now they...'he', in fact...one of 
the rulers, has turned his attention to our reality."
 
Soundwave says quietly to Chasm on his shoulder, 
"Does any of this seem familiar to you? You recognize 
the name Ashraker, surely."
 
Chasm sighs, shaking his head. "I don't know. It's 
still awfully muddled."

Megatron's optics flash for the fragment of a second. 
"So...? And who is the one interested in our reality?

Soundwave says, "I detected it in your thoughts-" but 
quickly falls silent as Megatron continues his 
questioning of Thunderwing's experience.
 
Thunderwing shakes his head, "I do not know. 
Ashraker's time with me was limited, so there could 
be only so many explanations." The Lord continues, 
getting to the point he for some reason finds highly 
amusing, and this shows in the downright odd cross 
between a smirk and a feral smile that suddenly 
flickers across his features, "I do know his reason 
for disrupting our reality, however: The destruction 
of the Dinobots. All of them."
 
You say, “This Ashraker wishes to destroy the 
Dinobots?"

Chasm shrugs, "It's not like they're important."
 
You say, “They are part of the team, Chasm. Though 
you said something about a memory in which they were 
not?"

Thunderwing shakes his head, "No. The ruler of that 
reality's Earth does. Ashraker's motivations remain 
unknown, so I would assume he had his reasons for 
warning me. But according to him, if this reality has 
to be destroyed to wipe out the Dinobots, so be it."

Chasm mutters to Soundwave, "They don't belong with 
us. I mean, it didn't happen this way. It doesn't 
feel quite right..."

Megatron says, "So, that is what he wants? Well, two 
are already gone... Those who belong to the Autobots. 
However, I won't sacrifice Grimlock, Sludge and Slag. 
Not if I can avoid it. They are too valuable."

Gryphus arrives from Access Corridor.

Thunderwing says, "Then I would suggest finding that 
which causes the disruptions and dealing with it."

Gryphus walks in to make a report if its needed on 
her adventure on Cybertron.
 
Soundwave, Megatron, and Chasm are in conference with 
Thunderwing, and Soundwave looks up at the sound of 
the door sliding back, realizing he'd neglected to 
lock it.

You say, “Gryphus, we will be available in a while to 
hear of your report."

Chasm, still coiled on Soundwave's shoulder, eyes 
Gryphus.
 
Gryphus nods. "Of course sir." she stands by, noting 
whom is here. Thundewing? Well now.
 
Soundwave uses the diplomatic version of saying 
"we're not to be disturbed right now."
 
Megatron just orders as he becomes aware of Gryphus: 
"Leave!"

Thunderwing glances over his shoulder at the new 
arrival, then goes back to waiting for the responses 
to his words so far. The differences in style between 
Megatron and Soundwave are noted, recorded and 
smirked at. Of course.
 
Gryphus blinks and leaves. "Sorry my lord." if she 
could tuck her tail between her legs she would be.

Gryphus enters Access Corridor <<S> 
South>.
Gryphus has left.
 
Soundwave activates a button on a nearby console and 
seals the door closed.
 
You say, “You surely do not wish us to believe, Lord 
Thunderwing, that the Dinobots must be eliminated in 
this timeline in order for our reality to survive?"

Thunderwing watches Soundwave impassively and states, 
without losing a beat, "That is one solution, 
certainly." A moment's silence and an admirable 
attempt at holding the other's gaze, then the 
Valckastan continues, "But I am not sure that would 
stop the process already in motion. No, I was 
referring to that which has been placed here to cause 
the disruptions themselves."

You say, “You speak of an object?"

Megatron leans his back against a wall, his arms 
still folded in front of his chest. "I thought it was 
caused by the members of the other universe who are 
able to influence the time/space continuity? Haven't 
you mentioned that?”

Thunderwing nods to them both, "I cannot verify or 
deny anything I have been told. Nor do I believe it 
implicitly. But consider it; even -if- you could 
manipulate time and space, would you choose to do so 
yourself over an extended period of time, or would 
you create something that could do the same thing 
unsupervised? If Ashraker was correct in his 
assumption, then a time beacon has been placed on 
Earth, causing reality to tear, moving out from said 
object, much like a ripple effect. It has already 
touched Cybertron. The beacon is to be found at the 
centre of the pattern of disturbances."

Sludge thumps into the door and falls onto his arse. 
"Ow."

Thunderwing makes a 'you tell me' kind of gesture. 
"That is for us to find out. It has all merely begun, 
after all. Now, we look for a pattern in the 
development of the disturbances."

Sludge enters Access Corridor <<S> 
South>.

Sludge has left.

 [OOC] Soundwave says, "Tried to get through that 
locked door, Sludge?

Chasm flicks a glance at the door, "Someone tried to 
get through..."

Megatron says, "Then we will find this torch. 
Whatever happens, we will be prepared: either to 
close the gap or to fight against the intruders."

Soundwave nods to Chasm. "Someone who was not paying 
attention, I would venture."

You say, "Is there an indication of what this object 
looks like, which we should be searching out?"

Chasm flicks his tail back and forth. "I just can't 
believe an entire reality could fall apart like that 
though... What made you trust this 'Ashraker?'"

Megatron says, "Even if we don't know how it looks, 
we will find it by following the pattern of the 
disturbance, Soundwave."

You say, "Then I will undertake that task. The only 
temporal disturbances I am aware of on Earth, 
originate from that island, and from that circle of 
standing stones."

Thunderwing shakes his head at Soundwave, "I do not 
know, unfortunately, but given the signatures of what 
it causes, it must be quite visible in one way or the 
other." He looks to Chasm and shrugs, "Trust him? I 
do not. Not as such, anyway. But when one receives a 
warning, it is foolish at best to ignore it. Ashraker 
presented venues to be explored in a situation where 
we knew nothing to begin with. Now, we have a 
direction to pursue, even if we come to learn that my 
visitor was in fact the enemy." Trusting creature, 
isn't he?

Megatron says, "As I said, we will take care of 
this."

Thunderwing frowns, "I shall stay on Earth until this 
has played out. I have 'seen'..." he makes another 
ineffectual gesture. How does one express what is for 
all intents and purposes synesthesia? Seeing sounds 
and hearing colours? "...a disturbance. I could never 
mistake it for anything else." And whatever it was he 
'saw', it...touched him.

Soundwave, being aware to some degree of 
Thunderwing's talents, says, "Then we will surely 
welcome your assistance, Lord Thunderwing."

Thunderwing inclines his head to Soundwave, then 
smirks, a cold light entering his optics, "And should 
it turn out that my faith in Ashraker was 
misplaced... I will have opportunity to do something 
about that, as well."

A glint of curiousity flickers through Soundwave's 
optic band, but he does not ask further. He has his 
own work to do and his own tangled webs to sort out 
among those who are part of his life.

Megatron says, "Good, Thunderwing, you will stay here 
until this task is finished. Soundwave, show the lord 
of Valckasta his quarters."