Slipstream is seated on her recharge berth, legs drawn up slightly, a data pad in her hands as she looks over the information that was scanned the cycle before. She's still trying to figure out who the Autobot is...
Megatron enters the Barracks, and sees Slipstream and Goa resting in their respective areas. "Excellent." Megatron rasps, as he approaches the pair. "I am glad to see that you are resting. I see Shred has finished her repairs. Were there any more signs of infection?"
Goa is but one bunk over, apparently still snoozing. Or deep enough in thought not to pay any mind. Though, his antennae twitch like he's listening ...
Slipstream snaps her head up and scrambles to get to her feet, data pad put aside. She straightens into attention pose, "Lord Megatron." she pauses a moment and glances at Goa, "Nothing has surfaced, sir. Though I do wonder how much longer the cure will last in my system. The radiation will eventually fade."
Megatron looks over at Goa, seeing him still resting, A grin plays across his metallic face as he considers giving Goa a rude awakening. Deciding against it, he simply snaps a finger, causing one of the many drones to wake Goa. "That is excellent news. I will have Starscream and his scientists research a more permanent way to deal with this problem." Megatron waits until Goa wakes from his snooze until proceeding further.
Goa squawks and jumps from his berth, stumbling and shaking his helmet. Motor systems weren't completely warmed up, but he was aware what was going on. He manages to salute and rub at his helm's crest blearily at the same time. "Emperor?"
Slipstream inclines her head to this, "A wise decision, my Lord. I am sure that the scientists are already looking over the data that was collected in the creatures’ lair area."
Megatron continues, "I came here to commend you both for your work in locating the lair. Your scans will prove invaluable to our scientists and the Empire. You both performed admirably in the face of danger and great risk." Megatron seems very pleased with the information received. He continues to go on, "You both will be allowed your next Energon ration at no charge for your faithful service to me."
Goa relaxes his salute to scratch the top of his helmet. Well, this isn't what he expected. By skirting the lair, he'd thought the point of the order was missed -- though he wasn't about to complain as such. He glances at Slipstream -- -- then back up at their commander. "You ... flatter us, Lord Megatron." There's a bit of an inquisitive tone to his voice as he bows.
Slipstream glances at Goa again, then looks back toward Megatron. "Thank you, my Lord." she replies, smiling a bit. <Oh good, you can tell me afterward okay?>
Megatron turns to Slipstream as you two glance at each other. By chance, Megatron inquires, "Has there been any progress made as to the identification to the possessed Autobot?"
Goa takes another quick glance to his side and back, looking a bit brighter in the optics. More alarmed. "The Autobot was known as Beta," He laces his hands behind his back, "Gone for vorns. Just like the Decepticon."
Slipstream looks over at Goa for that one, since he apparently found out somehow before she did. <Shark?> she asks over the link, figuring that's their source for that information. "A femme and a mech under possession of those creatures.. wonder what they could be planning."
Megatron paces a bit as he gets the information, processing it. "Thank you for the report, Slipstream. Now, I have work to do." Megatron says, dismissing himself quickly.
Goa takes a second bow and steps back, bumping his heels up against the edge of the bunk by accident. Least it doesn't make a sound, though. <Who?> He looks a little puzzled even as Megatron is still addressing them -- he also seems to be eyeing the Emperor's back until he disappears from immediate view.
Slipstream salutes as Megatron departs, then relaxes as he fully leaves the room. Goa gets a peering at, <Shark, the mech you fought at Trypticon. Who else would you talk to.. Prime?>
<That's his name?> He takes a couple of steps over, then sits, in an exhausted flop, on the end of Slipstream's berth. "We ought to be commendable more often," Goa chuckles.
Slipstream sits down next to Goa and nods, <Mm hmm, that's his name.> She cocks her head though, "At least he bothered to come here and tell us that. He usually skulks around in the Throne Room."
Shred enters the barracks, the diminutive Medic looking quite exhausted as she arrives, taking her time. she has not been back to the barracks in quite a long time, heck, she hasn't been back at all since she was allowed back in the med bay.
Goa hunches over his knees. "I figure." The mech leans and perks up a little. "Is that Shredder?" He rubs his mangled cheek without thinking, looking down the hall.
Slipstream smiles seeing Shred come in, "Long cycle in med bay Shred?" she asks curiously, then a little pat to Goa's shoulder. "We earned his respect, enjoy it while you can."
Shred nods, weakly waving to Goa and Slip, "Hey guys.. yeah, it's been a damned long cycle.. I have GOT to get some rest.. " smiling faintly, she hmms, "You gained Megatron's respect? How? "
"We blew up some stuff." Goa's proud beaming is pretty indistinguishable from the real thing, but Slip should know it's a bit sarcastic.
Shred raises a brow, "I somehow doubt that's all you did, Gooey. "
Slipstream giggles at Goa, "Oh you." she smiles a bit at him, then to Shred, "Went down to scan for the creatures where we ran into them before. Megatron was pleased with the results."
Goa wiggles his optic ridges up and down. "And we blew up some stuff." He crosses his legs, setting his locked hands on them. "Weren't you havin' some doubts about the cure, Slip?"
Shred blinks, looking to Slipstream and Goa.. "Doubts about the cure? What's wrong?"
Slipstream hmms, "Well we did kill stuff, that's close enough to blowing it up." she admits, then a nod, "I'm worried that the cure will wear off since radiation has a tendency to slowly weaken. The dose I took was minimal at best. We need something to counteract those things that's stronger than the cure itself."
Shred hmms, "Some sort of Rad-field generator?"
Goa leans back, out of the way of the two femmes, and looks sly.
Slipstream inclines her head, "Something like that would be good, but it has to be portable." then she eyes Goa again, and giggles.
Shred chuckles, and she hmms, "Well, there are portable force field projectors, right? if we adapt that technology?"
Goa suddenly looks more sober and puts a hand to his beard. "... did those shambles have any spark, Slippy?"
Slipstream nods to Shred, "Yes there is a few in storage last I checked, I suppose they could be adapted. But I'm no engineer." she states to Shred, then she looks at Goa, "The transformers?" she pauses, "Hm I believe so. Why?"
Shred nods, "We should pass the information to Starscream."
Goa's optics flare, surprised, briefly. "The others." He fidgets. "Just asking." Not really -- he's actually thinking of ... <If push comes to shove. Power core Shred made. As a weapon. Not defensive. Hate it though.>
Slipstream looks to Shred, "I'm sure Lord Megatron has by now instructed him to get to work on something." then a hmm to Goa, "Wouldn't make sense for the creatures to take a dead body now would it?"
Shred hmms, looking to Slip, and Goa, "It would make sense actually.. a LOT of sense. "
Goa shrugs. "Would it?" He chuckles, "Don't know how shadow-thingy biology works."
Slipstream shakes her head, "Taking over a dead body, now knowing how long it has been dead or what shape it is in would be bad in the long run. Better to take a live specimen, one that looks undamaged. But then I'm not one of those things so what do I know."
"Seems it'd be a lot easier if we could talk to one of them." Goa shrugs again, hand back on the beard.
Shred blinks, "You want to /talk/ to one of them? but the only way to do that is to capture somebody who is infected.. or deliberately let somebody GET infected.."
Slipstream nods, "Would help, but we have to be able to approach them first without getting reinfected. So it's better to get that situation done with first before we go back down there." she shivers at the latter suggestion from Shred, "Could try and capture either the Bot or the Con down there."
Goa blinks back. "Didn't say I wanted to." He shifts backward in his seat, letting his heels dangle above the floor, "Do they talk in the first place?" A curious glance at Slip -- he hasn't seen any of the footage of she or Shred while they were possessed.
Shred nods, "Looking at the footage when I was infected? it looks like it."
You say, "I do not like the idea of one of us getting infected again. There is no guarantee that the cure would work a second time."
Goa says, "Would be a waste, cure or not." He narrows his optics a little. "I wouldn't count on capturing either of the transformers there. Heard Yoketron was infamous. Can't speak for the Autobot, though."
Slipstream considers, "Will have to be clever about it. That is if we intend capture. Otherwise can just corner one, get our answers."
Shred hmms, "Whatever we do, it is risky at best. but we need to perfect a rad field."
Goa leans back. "Good luck with that." He's not entirely sure what a rad field /is/, much less how to perfect one.
Slipstream nods to Shred. "Need that field any way we go about it. Last thing we want is those things finding Megatron and taking over his body. I shiver to think what they'd do with that sort of power. They need to be dealt with permanently."
Shred nods, "Megatron would be bad enough, what if they got in the weapon."
Goa flattens his antenna out to the sides and stares at both femmes. <... interesting choice, Slippy.> "I thought they couldn't 'find' anybody. Just stay in that hive place."
Slipstream shakes her head to that comment from Goa, "I saw reports where they have infected beyond their lair area. They are becoming bold." then a hm to Shred, "Being in him would equate to being in his weapon, anyway you look at it means bad news."
Shred shakes her head, "No Slipstream.. I mean in Trypticon."
Goa says, "That's ... bad." He frowns -- that /is/ bad. That meant trouble underground, soon. "I thought Trypticon got taken out good. Repairs?"
Shred says, "the repairs have been proceeding rapidly so far as I knew." then adds, "He just has no energon in him."
Slipstream frowns at that idea, "He was badly damaged in that last fight, Prime saw to that. He may not be at all retrievable in the realm of repairs, especially after all the repairs we put in him before that fight. He's a liability."
Goa strums his fingers against each other over his chest. He's quietly contemplating his resistance to the parasites, and what he can do with it. Without being certain that it exists -- a logic puzzle beyond him. "Shredder, is there a way to prove I can't be infected?"
Shred nods.. and she looks at Goa, "Aside from you walking right into their lair? I don't think so. And I do not like the idea of risking that Goa."
Slipstream looks at Goa, "They didn't infect you the first time, or this latest time, and you still aren't sure you are immune?"
The silvery form of the familiar Emporer re-enters the Barracks. He appears to be looking for someone. Megatron's red optics spot who he seeks in the familiar group. Megatron approaches.
Goa shutters his optics halfway. "They didn't infect you this time, and you're worried your cure didn't work." He draws his lips thin when he sees the tall figure approaching. "Heads up, Shredder."
Shred hmms, pausing at Goa's words, and she turns, standing to attention, "Sir." she is trying to be utterly respectful, despite how exhausted she is.
Slipstream spots the form coming in and rises to her feet.
Megatron returns the formality. "Shred. Just who I was looking for." Megatron address her, and takes a note as to her current condition. He decides to keep things brief.
Goa rises to his feet, more articulate than last time he stood up, and salutes, but relaxes to allow Shred this spotlight.
Shred nods, "Yes Sir? How can I be of assistance?" she isn't sure what to say or do, so she remains at attention, though her optics are intermittent with their glow, showing just how low on charge she is.
"Have you had any more success with recovering your databanks?" Megatron inquires, following up with her since the last scans that were completed.
Slipstream stands quietly next to Goa, listening quietly and respectfully.
Shred shakes her head slightly, "Negative, sir, though I have reviewed what security logs I could to relearn what I had been doing more recently, as well as reviewing the personnel files I have available so that I know who everyone is, sir. "
Megatron hmphs. "Have you had them looked at since I last looked through them?" Megatron asks, his voice slightly more irritated then before. But only slightly. He is glad that you are taking the initiative to relearn everything on your own.
Goa flips his antennae back in their enclosures as Megatron's tone changes, but is otherwise motionless. The less reminders drawn to his insubordination, the better.
Shred ums, "I do not know, sir. As I do not know when it was that you last looked through them." she is being completely honest. "If I do not learn what I need to, however, I have also been asking my friends what they know of me, to fill in the gaps in the files.. from my actions and reactions, coupled with the fact that the files directly referring to me are incomplete, I have come to the conclusion that I was once an Empty, however. Though how I changed that status exactly I am uncertain."
Slipstream glances at Goa a moment, <At least he's taking an interest in her well being.> she notes over their link.
Megatron nods in acknowledgement. "I will meet you in the Repair bay after your recharge. We have some things to discuss. Until then, get some much needed rest." Megatron knows well he could chastise her for self-neglect. But this is not the time, nor place for such a thing.
Shred nods, "Yes sir.. I'll get myself recharged.. "
Slipstream smiles a bit to that, "We'll make sure she rests, sir."
Goa cringes imperceptibly. <Suppose so.> He throws another salute.
Megatron approaches Goa, and his optics narrow as he picks up Goa's cringe. "Do you have a problem, Goa?" Megatron rasps, his stare drilling into Goa's optics. Megatron's form seems taller and more foreboding then ever as he stands directly in front of Goa.
Slipstream straightens a bit as Megatron approaches Goa, wondering how he is going to handle their Emperor. <Tread carefully.>
Goa's optics would be the size of dinner plates, were Cybertronians so diligent with their eating utensils. "Nnnnno...? Sir." His hands lock to his sides. But he stays standing, chest out, no hunch, stare returned. This is the mech that got ticked at him for cowering, after all.
Megatron growls, and leans in to meet face-to-face with the familiar grounder. "Why are you scared!?" Megatron exclaims, asking his question loudly. "You should be PROUD to be serving under me! A Decepticon holds no fear. Fear leads to failure. And you should know how I feel about failure, Goa." Megatron places special emphasis on the last instance of 'failure'.
Slipstream knows what this is, it’s a test to see if Goa will break under pressure. <Lift your chin and for goodness sake don't stammer.>
Goa follows Slipstream's direction to the letter. If he shattered under pressure, he'd be a long dead and rusting mech -- but that doesn't mean he's creative under it. The point of his beard juts forward a little, looking almost indignant. "I take pride in my work, sir." He tilts the cone of his helmet aside slightly, like he wants to look at Slipstream, but doesn't, and turns it back. Can't break the stare. "I will not fail the Decepticons."
Megatron seems pleased by Goa's commitment to victory for the Decepticons and taking pride in his work. However, he keeps his rough demeanor and decides to apply a little more pressure. Megatron's red optics flare as he inquires, "So it is ME that you have a problem with?!" Megatron asks, even louder than before. "You have no pride in faithfully serving your EMPORER?" Megatron raises a clenched fist, ensuring Goa can see it plain as day.
Slipstream smiles a hint, <That's my Gooey.> Still at attention as Megatron grills the grounder standing next to her. <He's trying to bait you. Keep your cool. Don't give him a reason to question you anymore.>
Goa has his tunnel vision on. If he sees Megatron's raised arm -- and he probably does, the way he's dimmed his optics to a dull orange and tensed up -- he's ignoring it when he speaks, clearly, with no hesitation. "You are the Decepticons, sir. There is no one else I could proudly serve."
Megatron returns to his normal stance, no longer hunched over. He lowers his arm and addresses Goa. "You have come a long way from acting like an Autobot, Goa. You have realized the strength and might of the Decepticons, and that Victory is the only option. To never back down or let fear or doubt cloud you, for those things are a weakness."
Slipstream is proud of her grounder mate, he's keeping up well all considering. <Keep it up.>
Goa blinks his optics back to their usual red-orange glow, following Megatron as he stands. No blows. That was a nice change. But he seems to pause and let his thoughts wander, distant, just a nanosec. Megatron has no idea, or so Goa can hope, how conflicted the audials his words are hitting really are. Goa's salute is in slow motion. Not necessarily /cautious/ motion -- measurably slow. "Power to the Decepticons."
Megatron returns Goa's salute, eyeing him as Goa salutes him slowly. "Power to the Decepticons." With this, Megatron departs Goa's area. He takes a moment to ensure Shred is in her area and recharging, before finally leaving the barracks.
Slipstream salutes as well, offering the same intoned, "Power to the Decepticons." and waits for him to fully leave before she relaxes. <You did good Gooey, I'm very proud of you.>
As soon as Megatron is out of sight -- and he still eyes his back the entire time -- Goa's legs give at the knees, and he falls until his aft meets the berth. He looks at Slipstream once, then back into space, drained of expression as well as the will to respond.
Slipstream turns at his sudden fall and takes a seat next to him. Watching him with concern that is obvious via their link to each other. She reaches out to stroke his helm gently, <You okay?>
Goa braces his arms against the edge of the platform. <I'll be fine.> To the contrary, the ground pounder’s net is swimming in the fear of death. Experimentally, he makes no effort to hide that, but he's unwilling to articulate it all the same.
Slipstream Slips her hands down and shifts closer, putting her arms around his neck. <Good. Glad to hear it.> A little kiss given to the side of your helm. Her calm is rock solid, not even your fear of death shakes it.
Goa's ventilation is a high-pitched whine of strained fans. <What if I'd slagged that up, Slip?> The inquisitive nudge toward the end of his query is accompanied by a shudder and a sickly grimace. Drills weren't a new concept to the mech. Drills by a superior completely able and willing to kill him were another matter.
Slipstream frowns a little at the 'if' part of that question, <You didn't. You did fine. And it's about time you stood up to him too Gooey. You can never show him any sort of weakness.> she hugs you gently, resting her helm against yours. <Dwelling on the if doesn't matter okay? What matters is you pulled through it.>
The helmet is the first to fall, shortly accompanied by Goa turning and leaning the rest of his weight against you, fumbling with his arms to find a place to hold on. <Last time I stood up to him, nearly killed Shred.> Yes ... he still thinks that was partly his fault. Though, at least, there's a part of his CPU reminding him it wasn't, that he couldn't have known their presence would send the medic into a psychotic episode. But he still had to witness it.
Slipstream accepts your weight against her, fingers stroking your back as she hugs you around the chest. She shifts a bit, wings moving to flex a bit behind her. <It worked out though.>
<... Worked out.> Goa's repeat of your signal is almost like a mirror of your own speech. He cranes his neck back to look into your optics, studying them. <Suppose it did.> He looks over his shoulder. "Clingin' to you like a terrified sparkling, here. Don't think that's what fearless means." Paradoxical to his speech, he clings to your waist tighter. "Plenty of recharge. Patrol now."
Slipstream looks back into your optics, she is calm and cool, patient and understanding. This is what you feel from the femme via the link. "We can work on that together." she assures softly, then a smile to how you cling to her waist, <Are you really going on patrol or are you hinting we go hole up somewhere for awhile?>
Goa shrugs. She's getting better at this holding-two-conversations-at-once thing, at least. That could be a handy thing. A reassuring thing, right now -- can talk over the link if he has to. Hide it. But hiding doesn't suit him right now, and neither does a long walk. <Pits.>