================================= Decepticon =================================
Message: 2/22                      Posted        Author
TOP SECRET: MSE Operations         Sat May 07    Shockwave
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From: Commander Shockwave
To: Lord Galvatron, Commander Scrapper, Colonel Arachnae, Captain Mixmaster (Security Level Supra)
Re: Weapons Build-Up

TEXT ONLY. TEXT ONLY. TEXT ONLY. TEXT ONLY.

        "Without Trypticon, Imperial forces are ill-suited to complete termination of enemy fortifications. In response to this deficiency, I have designed a mobile artillery piece that is to be fabricated immediately and with the highest amount of discretion."

Attachment: massdriver.pdf (A mass-launching device on tank-treads. It fires anti-armor, explosive warheads with magnetically-shielded circuit cores at ludicrous speeds.)

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IHQ Med Bay

     The new Med Bay is large enough to house all the wounded that could result from battles against the Autobots. Near the entrance, there are a series of benches for patients awaiting treatment. Advanced medtables line the sides of the room in symetrical rows while surgery is located within the central area. In the ceiling are several crane mechanisms to assist medics in moving larger Decepticons, each one highly articulated and built to withstand the strain of lifting even Devastator. The room's floor, walls, and ceiling are fitted with forceshield generators to contain those that are too injured to return to duty, possible contaminants, and also are set to automatically engage to protect the room from combat damage. The room is immaculately clean, carries a glossy shine, and always smells of disinfectants, giving off the air of a proper medical bay. To the rear are the airlock doors that lead to the Laboratory.

Contents:
Dump Truck <Long Haul>
Gumby Medic <IHQ>
Med-Comm
Medical Rules
Obvious exits:
 East <E> leads to IHQ Laboratory.
 West <W> leads to IHQ Central Chamber.

Scrapper is busy at work, brainstorming fabrication ideas for a tan-erm-thing that holds liquids, yes. He is sitting at a desk, perched on his chair at a somewhat dangerous angle, and looks rather intent on what he's doing. To complete the picture, there should probably be a mound of crumpled papers around him, but datapads don't crumple as well and are much more expensive to replace.

Long Haul plods in with his usual load of boxes, although he hands them off to a random gumby rather quickly. He's really here looking one of his more... technically oriented brothers, and was only carrying the boxes because it was on the way. And it's habit. And it needed to get done. Because Primus forbid Long Haul try to get from point a to b without carrying something, oh, no, and- well, enough of that. He scans the room quickly and spots Scrapper. Ah! Just the brother he was hoping for (mostly because he knows it'll be a lot easier to talk to Scrapper about this than Hook). The transporter heads over to where his brother's working and hovers over a bit too close, craning his neck to see what he's doing. "Hey, Scrapper," he grunts in greeting, well after he's already made his presence impossible to ignore.

Scrapper takes a while to look up and notice Long Haul, despite how noticeable Long Haul has been making himself. Either Scrapper is unobservant or things that hold water are really, really interesting. He answers simply, "Eh." Scrapper doesn't need Long Haul to go get anything at the moment, so of course he's not going to say much.

Well, no, of course not. Now, if Scrapper wanted anything moved, then of COURSE he wouldn't rest until Long Haul were found, but since he doesn't need him, Long Haul could probably stand on TOP of Scrapper and he wouldn't pay him much notice. So Long Haul grabs for Scrapper's datapad and tries to snatch it away. "Hey, got a minute, Scrapper?" he asks in a tone that indicates he doesn't CARE if Scrapper has a moment or not. Now is Long Haul time, dammit!

Of course Long Haul could stand on top of Scrapper and not have Scrapper notice! That's called 'forming Devastator'. Still, Scrapper tears himself away from the fascinating water storage device and glances over at Long Haul. A little absently, he answers, "Huh? Sure."

But they're not forming Devastator in medical! That would mean... more work later on.

And now that Long Haul finally has Scrapper's attention, what happens? He gets hesitant. Admitting weaknesses is /hard/ especially to one's annoying brothers. So Long Haul stands there, and hems and haws for a moment, kicking absently at nothing. "Yeah, well, uhm... Scrapper. Uhm... thing is..." he trails off.

Scrapper sighs and leans back, increasing the dangerous angle of his perch on his chair. "'Thing?' Long Haul, you're the one always on our case to use proper specifications on our order forms."

Long Haul growls softly and finds a seat near Scrapper's. It's even easier for him to find a seat then some of his other brothers, as he lacks annoying things on his backside, but on the downside, as a gestalt member, the 'standard size' seats tend to be a bit large for him. "Well, thing is, Scrapper, I'm, uhm... I'm a bit slow." As soon as the words are out of his vocalizer he realizes he phrased that badly, so he immediately snaps his head up and stares straight at Scrapper, body language now both defensive and combative, as though daring him to use the opening.

Scrapper just stares at Long Haul, a bit of a 'duh' expression in his pose. And if Long Haul's daring him, of course Scrapper's going to press the point! "Yeah. Yeah, you are. You just noticed this?"

Long Haul snarls... or makes a snarling noise, since he lacks the lips to curl. "I'm not talkin' about up here!" he growls, pointing to his head. "I mean, uhm, my reflexes. Inna fight an' all. I react slow, an', well... I'm tough an' all, but, uhm..." The Constructicon looks down at his hands, which he balls into fists for a moment before relaxing them. Finally he sighs. "There's only so far tough will take you," he grumbles, forcing himself to admit something that doesn't come easily.

+gtalk Also there's a log where... Scrapper whines about his paint job. although it is unclear whether he is yellow or green.

Score! Scrapper can make Long Haul snarly! Wait, that's not hard. Scrapper nods, almost sympathetically. Almost. There's too much of a wicked glint in his optic band at Long Haul's admission for that to be really true. Hey, at least there's a glint there at all. When your city, your art, and countless trumpets are ruined, you have to get your kicks where you can. "So you'd like to rectify that? Fine. Fill out the forms."

Long Haul's head snaps up again as he exclaims, "What?!" He sits there for a moment, staring at Scrapper, fists again clenched, before he untenses. Just. A. Smidge. "All right, all right!" he grumbles angrily. "I will." He pauses a moment, and then continues, "An' then I'll remember this next time you want a fraggin' lense that you're too lazy to get from the storerooms yourself!" With the last word he jabs a finger in Scrapper's direction. So he wants to play it that way? Fine. Long Haul can do paperwork! He knows forms! Most of his job that /isn't/ taken up by hauling is paperwork, after all.

Scrapper glances back to the plans of the water holding device, which is also known as a tank. What? It's not like he can make an exception for Long Haul just because he's his brother. Actually, he could, but he's not supposed to admit things like that. So he doesn't. Given that Long Haul is now safely occupied with the dreaded forms, Scrapper again devotes his attention to the tank.

Long Haul gets up and storms over to the nearest terminal, calling up the proper paperwork. But if he doesn't get nudged to the top of the priority list rather quickly... well, it's not REALLY infighting if it's with your brothers, is it?

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