Open House [Tarnish/Goliath]

[Windshear]

March 6th, 2:14 PM
The Nemesis

Living on Earth for so long had changed the everyday lives of the Decepticons. For many of the officers, the effect largely had to do with matters of combat. It didn’t do much to change their personal lives. They were, after all, warriors from another planet. They were Cybertronians. Earth would not, could not be their home.

Things were different for the drones.

Some of them had never even seen Cybertron, having been created on the Nemesis during its journey through space. They were creatures created artificially, with no family, no real heritage, no sense of belonging to the proud and ancient race that had forged mighty Space Bridges between the stars. In some abstract way, they knew they were Decepticons, of course, but most of the drones felt an odd sense of loss when they thought of Cybertron. They felt homesick for a place that had never really been theirs.

And then they’d landed on Earth, they’d stayed on Earth, and all of the sudden that had changed. There was more than just war here, more than endless struggle and combat. There was culture here, society, a place that maybe, just maybe, once their Lord had finished his conquest… they could call home. So, it didn’t come as much of a surprise to any of the officers that the drones had started to become curious about Earth, and had begun to pick up aspects of human culture here and there. Some of them liked to watch Earth vids. Some of them liked to visit Earth places. Some of them liked to play Earth games.

Like poker, for example.

Windshear did not get poker. The very essence of poker was a dance of subtlety and duplicity, which were things that were simply beyond the grasp of Windshear’s admittedly simple mind. He had agreed to the game because it was a rest day for him, and he had nothing to do until sunset, when he would go off flying. The drones had gathered up as many data pads as they could get their hands on, and had programmed each of them to display a card, and then the games began.

They really didn’t have much to wager with, so they were just using handfuls of spare bolts and nuts from the engineering bay. They’d played a few hands already, and most of the winnings were piled up behind the drone to Windshear’s left. He was in the mixed company of one other Eradicon, two Vehicons, and three miners. Most everyone had about ten or fifteen chips left (except for the winning drone, who had close to forty).

Windshear had three. He stared at his cards, and then up at the unreadable faces of his fellow players for a moment. His engine gave a low, almost subsonic rumble as his processor sluggishly struggled with his next course of action. Eventually it simply gave up, helpless in the face of the complex machinations present in the human game of poker. He shook his head and set his “cards” down. “That’s it. I fold. I ain’t never gonna understand this game.”

As the hand drew to a close, the soft-spoken Vehicon raked up the winnings again, adding them to his considerable pile. Windshear leaned back in his chair, stretching idly and flexing his talons. Poker might be frustrating, but at least it was relaxing. To his other side, one of the miners was shaking his head ruefully. Windshear made the drones around him look small, looming over them by about seven feet, but the miner at his side looked positively tiny compared to him.

“Good game. It’s a shame we don’t play for anything valuable. Like rations or anything,” the miner piped up.

The winning Vehicon shook his head. “I would not take any of your rations,” he rasped.

“High-grade.” One of the other miners suggested. For a moment the poker players all tilted their masks wistfully. It had been too long since any of them had even seen so much as a drop of the stuff. Eventually someone mentioned that it was time for another round. Most of the rest of the table hopped right back in, but Windshear decided to sit the game out, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. He didn’t really feel like playing, and instead looked idly around the great commons room where they were sitting. Around the poker players, the tables were crowded with drones partaking their energon rations, chatting, watching vids, or staring into space. Windshear was struck by a sudden and unexpected sense of familial warmth for his comrades. Most of the time he was a restless creature, always off looking for a fight or a challenge, but today, for now, he was content just to be here.

He was happy just to be home.

[Goliath]

Goliath and Tarnish were touring the Nemesis, recently having arrived by Tarnish's teleporting device with Megatron's permission. Goliath wasn't sure what his Master's plans were, but they were back again, perhaps to challenge more fighters. He didn't think Tarnish was interested in joining the Decepticons, but perhaps he was surveying the Nemesis to see if it would be a good environment for Goliath.

Goliath was unaware of the one thing that would keep the Scientist from willingly joining the Cons, and that was his cousin Bulkhead. Tarnish would feel like such a traitor to his cousin, more so than the rest of the Autobots that he barely knew here on Earth.

So in truth, he didn't really know why they were here. Maybe they were going to strike up some deal with the Decepticon leader. But in truth, he knew Tarnish was more or less a neutral to both sides at this point, so he wasn't sure what he would do if he was asked to do service with the Decepticons or something. He pushed that thought in the back of his processor as they walked into the commons room, the two opposing set of optics looking around. They didn't look particularly lost, just checking things out.

[Windshear]

It didn’t take Windshear long to notice the two newcomers. In a room full of nearly-identical drones, they stuck out quite a bit (and were the subject of quite a few stares--some curious, some suspicious). He perked up when he saw the two of them and waved. He wasn’t hard to miss, being of larger-than-average stature among his brethren. He stood and, without further ado, trotted over.

It had been quite a while since he’d seen either of them. They hadn’t shown their faces around the Nemesis since mid-January, at least not to a degree that Windshear was aware of. He hadn’t forgotten either of them, though, the hulking maroon flier than had managed to subdue him in a fight, and his enigmatic blue-eyed creator, about whom Windshear was definitely curious. “Hey, you two,” he rumbled as he approached. “I haven’t seen either of you around in a while.”

The drone was blissfully unaware of the internal struggle waging war inside of poor Tarnish’s processor. Eve if he had been, he probably wouldn’t have known any way to help. He was a very straightforward creature, and seemed to have no trouble outright approaching a pair of mechs he was curious about. Subtlety, thy name is not Windshear… “You gonna stick around this time?”

[Tarnish]

It took Tarnish a moment or two to realize who they were looking at. The drones all looked the same, even though their voices were each a bit different. But in the context he spoke in, Tarnish realized this was the one Goliath had challenged. This one had been Goliath's first opponent.

Goliath glanced down at his Master questioningly, not wanting to answer a question that had been likely meant for him. Even so, he didn't know the answer. "I didn't realize who you were for a moment there. Well, possibly. Last I spoke to Megatron, he expressed interest in us as long as he agreed that I would remain in command of Goliath."

Tarnish and Goliath both were not in the least bothered by the fact that Tarnish was essentially selling Goliath to the highest bidder like he was a slave or some kind of item, Goliath was a sentient drone like the rest of them, and he had not acquired his own need for freedom nor did he currently have a suspicion that this wasn't fair to him. Of course in Goliath's case, he had no issue being what he was at all, and didn't care about the political chaos between the different factions. He just wanted to fight, and nothing more. And Tarnish knew that as well.

((You can post, Goliath is being silent for this round))

[Windshear]

Windshear was too simple to pick up on any subtle nuances. He didn’t seem to have any objection to the way Goliath was being treated for now. After all, it was the norm for Eradicons, and, in fact, he had even less freedom than the air drone. Tarnish was a responsible creator. He cared for Goliath and wanted to protect him. The only person who wanted to protect Windshear was Windshear. He glanced between the two of them with the same blank air of amiability as a friendly dog’s. He hadn’t quite grasped the fact that Goliath was a drone. He didn’t look like a drone. Judging by the suspicious looks the pair were receiving, many of the Vehicons and Eradicons felt the same way.

It was a small hint of what could eventually come to be: things might be difficult for Goliath if he joined the Decepticons. The officers weren’t likely to respect him as an equal, and the drones probably wouldn’t accept him as one of their own. He was different, and nether properly one thing nor the other. Goliath was probably not the type to be bothered by that sort of thing, though.

All things in time, though. “Heh, yeah, I get that a lot,” he chuckled in response to Tarnish’s comment about not recognizing him, and then cocked his head curiously as Tarnish spoke. A more socially-conscious mech would probably not have pried, but Windshear was about as subtle as a crowbar to the face. “Really? So… wait. Lemme get this straight. You’re an Autobot, right?” He pointed at Tarnish. There was no angry accusation in his voice, merely confusion, but he had just put the poor mech on the spot without realizing.

Every optical visor was turned towards the trio. An entire cafeteria full of Vehicons and Eradicons were staring, waiting for the signal to strike.

“But,” Windshear went on, “you two’re gonna help us anyway?” He looked between Goliath and Tarnish as he said this, completely oblivious to the tension all around them.

[Tarnish]

Tarnish stared, unblinking at Windshear for a moment as he felt the awkwardness directed at him. How much more obvious could it get? Of course he was an Autobot, the optics said it all didn't they? "Yes, I'm an Autobot. More or less a neutral though. I was here on Earth long before most of the others due to a uh...silly accident. I kind of banned myself here. So I decided to work solo as a neutral entity of sorts ever since. What I do is determined by my own calling. It's a little complicated. But I like doing my own thing honestly. Now my primary objectives are making sure Goliath is put to good use." Tarnish was telling a majority of the truth there, though he was independent, a freelance scientist technically, he still helped Bulkhead and the others out when needed.

Bulkhead easily remembered the day Tarnish accidentally disappeared. Tarnish had spoken to him frequently since then, and told him they didn't have to worry about rescuing him and returning him to Cybertron. He had found Earth to be an interesting place. Though he originally had duties as an engineer on Cybertron, he had told Bulkhead to tell the others that he had went off exploring. He did everything from the ground up after that. When he had discovered a variety of Energon sources on Earth, he told Bulkhead he'd be okay.

[Windshear]

Windshear cocked his head, locked in intense cogitation. A lot of things in everyday life involved intense cogitation for Windshear. Battle strategies. Proper etiquette. Words more than seven letters long. The concept of such personal freedom was utterly alien to him. It wasn’t always great, being a drone, but at least you knew where you stood. The thought of doing something just because you wanted to do it was weird.

But Windshear was too simple to wrestle with the deep philosophical layers surrounding the conundrum. He simply chalked it up to non-drones behaving like non-drones. Sometimes a simple mind could grasp concepts that more complicated ones had trouble getting a grip on. “Okay,” he replied, shrugging, and that was it. There was no complicated negotiation involved in getting Windshear to trust them. He seemed to be able to take Tarnish at his word. “Sounds good to me. We could guys like you.” Goliath was an impressive fighter, and if Tarnish had made him, then he had to be an impressive scientist.

And just like that, the tension in the room drained. Windshear was not the unofficial leader of the drones or anything, but he was one of the older ones, and his exploits were well-known enough that he has a decent amount of respect among his peers. The Stoop was a sort of drone legend. Tarnish and Goliath were still the subject of a healthy amount of suspicious glares, but nobody seemed like they were getting ready to leap at them anytime soon.

Windshear’s wings hiked up suddenly as an idea hit him. “Hey, anybody showed the two of you around yet?”

[Tarnish]

Tarnish was not oblivious to the tension in the room, but he didn't appear bothered by it. "Nope, never had an official tour, that would be appreciated for both of us." he dipped his head in respect and courtesy, gesturing with a hand for him to begin. Little did he know of the future that was in store for both of them, but there was nothing to prepare him for it.

((This is short I know, though I have an idea regarding this, please check yer PC))

[Windshear]

Windshear was just as ignorant as they were of the greater plans in store for the two of them. He just thought that Megatron was looking for new places for soldiers. The more fighters, the better--at least, it seemed that way to Windshear. “I been here longer’n most. I could show you around!” Yes, that sounded like a much better way to spend the evening than by losing yet another hand at poker.

“Lots of the ship ain’t exactly open for me to just up and walk into.” A drone was not expected to be seen in the upper officer decks unless he was summoned, after all. “But I get to hit all the good places anyway, heh. You both already know where the rec room is.” That was where he had met this pair and fought Goliath. Windshear was not bitter about his loss. It had been a good fight, and that was what counted. Without further ado, Windshear lead on, waving over his shoulder for them to follow. “Okay. So, whatcha exactly have ya seen around here?”

(Also, your idea is fine by me! Windshear will not really understand what’s going on, though, lol. As long as he’s told by an officer to stand down, he won’t interfere. He won’t have a choice.)

[Tarnish]

"The rec room, some of the science and engineering labs, that's about it honestly. I guess Megatron wanted me to get a brief overview of what living on the ship as a scientist would be like if I visited to monitor Goliath more." Tarnish shrugged. "If there's anything in particular left that I should see, by all means be my guest. Me wandering in these walkways alone is not a good idea." He knew that he could teleport out of here whenever he wanted...as long as his teleporting device didn't go on the fritz or it got EMPed. That was a slight worry in the back of his mind, because sometimes it would go on the fritz out of the blue - but it was something he couldn't predict and couldn't really prepare himself for aside from trying to keep the thing maintained.

[Windshear]

“Huh.” Windshear didn’t wonder too much about Megatron’s motives. It wasn’t his place to question or understand his leader--just to do what he said. “Well, you found the mess. This is where us drones get out fuel. I guess this is where you’ll get yours, too, if you stay,” Windshear added, glancing to the silent Goliath briefly.

He waves for them to follow and heads out of the mess, into the corridors beyond. “Most of the ship’s just hallways, really.” Windshear was not really a fan of enclosed spaces. He gestured to the walls. “Colored lights are how you get around, mostly. Follow the blue indicators to go up, and from the roof, there’s a launchin’ pad and a landing’ pad. One of the my favorite places on this ship.”

[Tarnish]

"Is that where we're going next?" Goliath wondered curiously, it being the first time he'd spoken since arriving.

"Yeah, we'd like to see it, in recent times we got transported up from the ground by the ring devices." Tarnish replied. "Very interesting structural designs, I must say. A bit dark, but still interesting. Definitely more spacey than my little hideout in some places, I'm kinda jealous." Tarnish said as his optics followed Windshear's gestures. He made sure to stick close to him, as he was not in the mood to get attacked.

[Windshear]

“We can,” Windshear replied, in as cheerful a tone as his gruff voice would allow. He liked being out in the open air. “C’mon.”

He navigated the Nemesis’s winding corridors with the ease of someone used to their labyrinthine ways, and didn’t bother to do much explaining--it simply didn’t occur to him. He paused now and then to point out a place of interest, such as a corridor leading to the Vehicon barracks (“They keep the fliers and the ground-pounders on separate decks, mostly,”), the double-doors of one of the Nemesis’s large wash-racks, (“We don’t got private wash-racks, but eh, at least you can always find someone to scrub your back, right?”), or one of the supply rooms.

Eventually they made their way to the top of the ship, and Windshear keyed the hatch open, stepping out onto the deck. Shielding kept the worst of the wind at bay, but even so, it tugged at the angles of his form, and he felt an urge to fly rise in him, which he quelled. He could go flying later.

“The view from here,” he said, “is amazin’.”

[Tarnish]

Tarnish made a mechanical whistle. "Impressive, all right." he replied as they stepped out. He noticed the wings on Goliath's back twitch a bit as he too felt the wind shift about him. He didn't understand the need for fliers to fly, but flight was their primary ability, after all. "I think this ship is a good place for Goliath. What do you think, Goliath?"

The drone undeniably nodded in affirmation, interested in being around fliers like Windshear. Windshear was one of his few friends so far, after all. He would do whatever his Master thought was best, however.

[Windshear]

“Pit yeah! There ain’t no better place for a flier than the Nemesis. It’s… it’s nice, when you go into recharge, thinkin’ about all the air below you.” Windshear, like most fliers, disliked being indoors, but it was bearable when the “indoors” was actually several thousand feet about sea level.

He cocked his head as he took in the sight of Tarnish and Goliath. He was feeling that he liked the Autobot, despite the fact that he was, well, an Autobot. And Goliath--well, he was certainly something, wasn’t he? Strong, taciturn, and he didn’t look half bad framed against the sky like that…

Er-hem.

Time for that sort of thing later.

“So, what other things would you be interested in seeing? Anything you need that you’re wonderin’ whether or not we got?”