January 31st, 2003
~Nosecone(A)

Deadlands

     The deadlands of Cybertron stretch out for nearly a quarter of the planet. Originally a test bed for Decepticon weapons, the area turned into a massive waste dump area when it was abandoned. The area is littered with bits and pieces of Transformers, bodies of nearly any and every native creature built, old machine parts and just about every manner of debris imaginable. The area proved to be a natural battlefield, just by virtue of the random cover and entrenchment possibilities, but both sides soon grew tired of fighting over a worthless piece of property, instead regarding it as a bit of a border or demilitarized zone between regions. There's life here, if one looks for it, but at first glance, there is apparently nothing worth wasting time on here.


Nosecone [Robot] [A]

Obvious Exits:
 -U- Up leads to Sky above Ruined Outpost
 -N- North leads to Meteorite Flats
 -E- East leads to Ruined Outpost
 -W- West leads to Waystation


-Nosecone sits on a large chunk of debris, rifle resting beside him. Primus only knows what he's doing out here.
-Moonlight walks along, mincing her way across the debris trying not to step on anything that resemebles a head too much. It doesn't matter that the stuff here has been dead a long time, it just somehow seems tacky to her to go around stepping on people's faces.
-Nosecone idly picks up a small piece of junk, throwing it into the wasteland where it lands with a clatter. Well, he's not on sentry duty, since he hasn't noticed Moonlight yet. Not like he's the most observant of individuals anyway
-Moonlight hears a clanking sound that she didn't make. With her previous luck in the Deadlands, it's a wonder she doesn't shun the place like a plague. But Moonlight, although smart enough to learn from her mistakes, chooses to push her luck instead. She starts heading towards the sound to investigate.
-Nosecone starts talking to himself, voice fairly clear in the otherwise still air. "... slaggin Shadowbots... slaggin Blitzwing.. should be keepin a countdown. Knowin my luck he's gonna show up, just 'cause I mentioned his name.." Staring blankly at a particularily boring junk pile for a moment, the Technobot becomes aware of small sounds.. like someone was heading this way. "..speak of the Decepticon.." he mutters, slowly reaching for his rifle.
-Moonlight continues on her way. Generally her footsteps are too light and easy to be Blitzwing's stompings, but that might not be apparent from a distance. She just languidly moves along, seeming unconcerned.
-Nosecone picks up his rifle and moves to investigate, his heavy footfalls a loud counterpoint to Moonlight's relatively stealthy approach. Peeking his head around the corner of a huge rusting engine block, the driller almost lets out a groan. Moonlight. Trouble of an entirely different callibre.
-Moonlight usually isn't thinking of mischief, but it follows the femme anyhow. She moves to where she thought the sound had come from. She puts a finger up to her lips and hmmmmmmmms. Slowly she turns in a circle to look around herself.
-Nosecone steps into plain view from the huge delerlic engine block he was taking cover behind. "Moonlite" he states. "So I figure.. your lover boy will be here in about.. 10 nanoclicks?"
-Moonlight turns to face Nosecone. She smiles slightly. "That always /does/ seem to be the way things go, doesn't it? Would you believe me if I told you I never call him for help?"
-Nosecone shrugs, weapon still readied but not pointing at the femme. "Oh, I beleive it" he states. "But I also know he follows you round like a lost kidlet." Nosecone sighs. "Best if you just keep movin."
-Moonlight shrugs. "That may be so, but I've never been one to do what is best. If I had, I would have become an honest femme long ago and I never would have ended up on this death trap of a planet." She shakes her head. "Besides, as far as I know, Blitzwing is still on patrol." She winks. "You should be safe for now."
-Moonlight's comment doesn't have the desired effect - assuming it was to put Nosecone at ease. "You haven't had any memory damage, have ya Moonlight? The fact that I pretty much beat the slag out of ya the other cycle hasn't been erased from storage or anythin?" The driller seems a little uncomfortable bringing it up.
-Moonlight shakes her head. "Not at all."
-Nosecone says, "So..."
-Moonlight folds her arms. "So what? You want me to go running around in circles from fright? That really isn't my style you know."
-Nosecone shakes his head, trying to supress a smile at the sudden image of Moonlight running around waving her arms and yelling 'Ohno! It is Nosecone! We must flee!'. "Nah" he replies. "But I wasn't expectin a complete lack of hostility either.."
-Moonlight nods her head. "I see. Well, if I took the war personally, I'd be nuttier than a cyber-squirrel. I'm a Con, you're a Bot, and there was a fight. No big deal...I'm still alive, aren't I?"
-Nosecone nods. "That's how I saw it" he says, though he'd be lying if he said he enjoyed firing on Moonlight. "But lover boy's been ridin my back for cycles, spoutin off about not shootin innocent femmes and the like." He shakes his head and suddenly smiles. "Though where he got the idea that you fit inta that category is beyond me.."
-Moonlight shrugs her shoulders. "Don't ask me. He's just trying to be gentlemechly I suppose. I think it's sweet...but I wish he'd get his violent tendancies under control."
-"Think ya might be waitin a while for that ta happen" Nosecone replies. "I got a feelin that he's really got it in for me personally now."
-Moonlight nods. "He gets like that. Of course, if you can convince someone else to shoot me good, then he'll be off your case." She chuckles. "Might be a clever way to cause trouble for someone you don't like. But I don't see you as the kind of mech to do that. You're too...straight forward."
-Nosecone wonders if that's a compliment. "Uh" he says, unsure of how to react. "Yeah, I guess so. An I'm sure you could get into enough trouble by yourself, if ya wanted to."
-Moonlight nods. "Oh, I'm perfectly capable of getting into trouble, equally with both sides. I'm not very good at keeping my thoughts to myself, and that can certainly get people from the Cons and the Bots to be a bit displeased with me. But it's who I am and Cybertron will just have to live with it."
-Nosecone takes the oppurtunity to sit down on a large chunk of debris. "Well at least you're friendly" he replies, a smile fading almost as quickly as it appears on his faceplate. "..unlike some I could mention" he mutters.
-Moonlight sits down on a piece of junk a little ways away and faces Nosecone. "Oh, most of us are friendly. Do you really think that we're all so bad that we hate each other as well as the Bots? That wouldn't make much sense. Sure, most of us are friendly, but just to those people we /should/ be friendly to."
-Nosecone smiles wryly at Moonlight. "Actually, I was talkin about some Autobots."
-Moonlight blinks, taken rather aback by Nosecone's answer. "Really? Of course, most of them aren't friendly to me, but that makes sense. Why wouldn't they be friendly to you? Aren't you on their side?"
-Nosecone shrugs. "You're tellin me the Decepticons are one big happy family?" He shakes his head. "Somtimes I think that bein on the same side don't mean much at all. Least ta some."
-Moonlight gives a full shrug. "True enough...but from what I've heard, we rule by fear and your people all belive in some sort of goal, a freedom of the people. Why wouldn't you want to work together?"
-Nosecone huhs. "Good ta see the PR department's still workin."
-Moonlight folds her arms. "Okay, what /do/ you guys want then? Obviously beating the Cons is part of it. But would world domination by us /really/ be that bad?"
-Nosecone looks up at Moonlight. "Tell me.. If you guys won, what would be me an my friends' chances of survival? Less than nothin. An if anyone disagreed with how things were run, they'd have the same chances."
-Moonlight shrugs. "True enough...but why be on the wrong side in the first place? What is so important that you're all willing to die for? And we're not all complete monsters after all. If we were, we wouldn't care enough to watch each others backs and protect each other."
-Nosecone continues, ignoring Moonlight's reply for the moment. "An another thing. If the Decepticons took over.. you think the war would stop? Before we know it, they'd be armin up to attack some innocent planet. The Cybertronian wars would stretch out to the stars. It'd be war without end." He shakes his head. "Don't know if I could stand that."
-Moonlight nods. "That's true. But a lot of us really would probably be nicer once everything was done and over with. I guess most of them figure that they can't afford the luxury of being compassionate and all. Of course, what worries me are the few that /are/ monsters." She shudders, thinking of a few names. "But I suppose your side has a few odd balls too."
-One face springs immediately to mind when Moonlight says that. "You could say that" Nosecone mutters. "I'm sure your friends would be a lot nicer after me and mine are dead. It don't matter any more whether one side is right or wrong, because the war's gone on for too long. We've both picked sides, and there ain't no changing that for either of us it would seem. Not unless the higher ups decide to end the war an have a tea party."
-Moonlight has to laugh at that thought. "Certainly would make my day. I'm not fond of fighting, or getting beat up. I'm not fond of having somone tell me who my enemies are. I'd rather be hated for the things I've actually done...not for something my faction has done. Especially since most of it happened before I was even on this planet." She shakes her head sadly. "You know, I have this theory that, maybe, if I don't do anything /too/ terrible, I won't have anything to come back and haunt me."
-"Just followin orders?" Nosecone chuckles. "I'm goin for that myself."
-Moonlight looks at her feet. "I mean, as long as I don't go against the Empire and do what I'm told, I see no need to be a fanatic. Fanatics are dangerous...I don't like them. If you devote your whole being to war, then why would you want it to end? What would you have to look forward to? I'm not getting into that rut. I refuse."
-Nosecone can't help but agree. "The problem is.. how do ya avoid it, when the war could concievably go on for vorn?"
-Moonlight shrugs. "Not sure. I just know it hasn't hit me yet. I have other interests, other plans." She thinks for a few moments. "You keep saying that if my side one, your people would have no chance. On the flip side, if your side wins, what chance do me and mine have?" She looks up again, giving Nosecone a rather piercing look.
-Nosecone blinks. "Well.." he begins, "I guess there'd be a trial. I don't think your commanders would have much of a chance, but the rank and file.. counciling at the most, I reckon."
-Moonlight holds her gaze. "Do you really think that? I've heard that Bot justice isn't so great either. Then again, the person who told me this was a bit sick and twisted and thought I was a spy anyhow."
-Nosecone gives Moonlight a look indicating that he wouldn't be /too/ surprised to find out that she was, in fact, a spy. "Well that's just my opinion. Who were ya talking to?"
-Moonlight frowns. "Psykeout."
-Nosecone shrugs. "Heard about what happened, but I wasn't there at the time. Busy elsewhere." He pauses. "But from what I hear, that's one that deserves ta be tried."
-Moonlight nods. "I can't deny that, but it also didn't sound like they took his trial seriously...like they had already made up their mind that he was guilty even before the trial made a decision." She shakes her head. "I wouldn't want to be put up against that. Especially since I don't have a single death on my hands," which she looks at, palms facing upwards.
-"Lucky you" Nosecone emits, optics elsewhere for a moment, before they flicker back to the more peaceful present. "No-one's perfect" he admits. "But I'd like ta think that you'd do alright, should it ever come to a trial."
-Moonlight grins. "I'll just make sure I'm never caught. I've avoided it this far...and I'd think that makes my chances look good. The again, you guys have captured Enfilade before, and she's much stronger and battle-wiser than I."
-Nosecone can't help it. "Bigger target" he replies.
-Moonlight nods. "In more ways than one. She's a threat...I'm not. Not really anyhow."
-Nosecone tils his head and looks at Moonlight. "Dunno about that" he says.
-Moonlight winks. "That's awfully sweet of you to say." She stands up. "But I can't even dent you. If you really wanted to, you could probably make sure I never smuggled again, right here and now."
-Nosecone nods. "I know. But despite what Blitzwing thinks, I aint that kind of mech. I don't regret shooting you the other cycle, but I regret /having/ to."
-Moonlight folds her hands behind her back. "I can appreciate that. But to be honest, I'd rather have you shoot me than some crazy maniac. At least I know you're doing it because you /have/ to, not because you take some obscene pleasure in the job. Catch my drift?"
-Nosecone can't help but chuckle. "I know what ya mean."
-Moonlight grins and rubs a hand over her bald head. "This war makes so many ridiculous statements possible, doesn't it?"
-Nosecone notes the motion. "Where's your hat?" he asks, noting for the first time Moonlight's lack of her signature piece of clothing.
-Moonlight grimaces. "Cloak helped me lose it. Remember that time you burried Blitzwing under all that rock? Well, Cloak came along and dumped twice the ammount on top of him...damaged my leg and burried my hat and one of my blasters. I wasn't too pleased to tell you the truth." She presses her lips into an angry line. "I've really decided I don't like that one, and I don't care if you tell him as much."
-"Cloak.." It's clear from Nosecone's tone that he shares Moonlight's opinion. "I'm not about ta talk to him unless I'm forced to."
-Moonlight nods. "I don't blame you. I hope they lock him up when the PR guys do their work."
-Nosecone mutters, "They'd better. Slag, they should just lock him up, full stop. Him an Silhouette both."
-Moonlight blinks. "Can't say I've ever met Silhouette. Pretty name though..."
-Nosecone blinks.. then bursts out laughing.
-Moonlight arches an optic ridge. "Well, I'm glad somebody's amused."
-Nosecone stifles his laughter, wiping small drops of fluid from his optics. "Pretty name.. I guess it is. But ya wouldn't be saying that if you'd actually /met/ Silhouett." He chuckles once more, absently brushing his fingers over the small scratch in his Autobot sigil.
-Moonlight hmmmmms. "Someone else in the Cloak camp?"
-Nosecone says, "Cloak's Commander."
-Moonlight ahhhhhhhs. "That would explain it then. Then I hope I never have to meet her."
-Nosecone says, "She was at Cerrius. Surprised ya didn't see her then. Or maybe not. She likes to skulk around."
-Moonlight considers this. "She doesn't happen to be a jet, does she?"
-Nosecone shrugs. "Not sure. Never seen her alt mode."
-Moonlight waves a hand dismissively. "No worries. I don't use my alt mode often either. For some reason I'm much more comfortable when I have a face. I don't think I could ever stand wearing a mask."
-Nosecone huhs? "A mask.. that's an interesting way ta put it. For me, it's just.. another part of me. No different from walkin around. Stil, it's a bit hard ta talk when ya don't have a face."
-Moonlight nods. "I don't really like to fly either. Before I was a Con I couldn't fly in my current mode."
-Nosecone shrugs. "Well that's never a problem for me, unless 'Shot is givin me a lift somewheres. Must be interestin ta be able to fly"
-"Eh, it's not so bad. Certainly is handy for getting my aft out of trouble. But if I'm in no hurry or trouble, I prefer to just plain walk. I see more that way."
-Nosecone nods and gets to his feet as his radio goes off. "Speakin of walkin.. looks like I should get back ta Iacon." He makes a face. "Guess someone's finally noticed I'm gone."
-Moonlight half waves. "Don't get into /too/ much trouble. Or else who am I going to almost shoot later?"
-Nosecone hehs. "Have fun with Blitzwing, an try not ta be captured. Don't want ta have ta end up guarding your cell."