View source for 2018-09-01 Wakey, Wakey

{{Log
|logtitle=Wakey, Wakey
|logdate=2018/09/01
|location=Lost Light - Science and Medical - Medibay
|participants=Rodimus, Soundwave,
|npcs=Kaput,
|summary=Soundwave's awake! Good work, guys!
|log=After several close calls even after the successful surgery by First Aid (and company), Soundwave finally reached stability. Without the threat of a sudden guttering, his spark and processor has slowly and surely sync'd and the once unresponsive and flat screens are active once more. Beginning with just blips, hours apart, his brain activity has increased exponentially since. Back to normal activity levels. Continuing to monitor this and his spark, the hopeful doctors of the medibay begin the process of halting the medically-induced stassis.

Soundwave only needs to initiate start-up protocals and awaken.

Minutes pass. Then hours. It drags on- either his spark or his brain or both just have not imidiacy. Its a waiting game. The readings stay steady- stay healthy- and his systems barely make a sound as they idle in stand-by mode. He's still with the excpet of his tentacles- which only have the will to grasp for anyting for only a few minutes before receeding, sometimes they require assistance in respooling. It's during one of these little outings that something changes.

Soundwave's tentacle grasps desperately at the air, biolights along its length blinking rapidly. They've been sleepily alighting up until now. A monitor beeps, a brainwave spikes and-- Soundwave's chassis hums as his systems begin to warm.

"Hey--! Hey, it's okay." Rodimus is near, this time. He isn't always. He might like to be, but he's refused to let himself, and poured himself instead to the work of the ship. The flattened affect he's carried has had a dampening effect here and there, but he's trying!! He's here now, though, close enough to catch the movement and move to Soundwave's side.

He's followed by the medics drawn by the beep, and as much as they'd like to push Rodimus off, he won't be budged. Instead, he takes the tentacle in hand and coils it protectively around his fingers, cupping it in both of his hands as he strokes the tip in a gentle, soothing pat. It's okay, little guy. Rodimus anchors his thoughts in the fact that Soundwave is safe: he's repaired, he's whole, his cassettes are safe. "Soundwave?"

As the medics rush to look over readings and monitors, the tentacle in Rodimus's grasp slows the frenzied beat of its biolights. Its claws gently pick at the metal of Rodimus's palm while the rest of its length slowly wraps long his arm like a snake around a tree.

BIt's second after Rodimus speaks. Long seconds, everyone holding their proverbial breath- tense as they hope for the best and expect the worst. Just a klik after his name is spoken and Soundwave's optics online. They alight, dull but getting brighter, and flicker around. His exposed lips- his visor and mask were removed for medical reasons- twitch but he doesn't say anything. He blinks.

"No signs of cascade failure," Kaput murmurs allowed. He looks over everything a minute long. "By Primus, I think First Aid did it!" Not that he was ever doubting his fellow doctor! Its just... Brain transplants are tetchy. He wheels back to shine a light in Soundwave's optics, checking their lens dilation. "Looks like he has access to his optical feed..." Sorry, Rodimus. He has to medic all over your moment.

"Hey." Rodimus beams down at Soundwave, pleasure washing away all over thoughts as his frame shivers in knee-quaking relief. He's online. He's looking around. But he isn't saying anything, so Rodimus strokes the tentacle in his hand again and says, "Soundwave, your cassettes are okay. They're right over there." He nods over his shoulder. "Want me to bring them over?" He gives Kaput a sidelong glance, just daring him to argue about whether or not that is medically advisable. HE'S GONNA BRING CASSETTES OVER AND YOU CAN'T STOP HIM.

Kaput opens his mouth and it just hangs there. With a ''harumph'' he goes back to checking Soundwave over. Soundwave's face twitches again as the tentacle is stroked, head tilting in Rodimus's direction. "Audio feed and nueral net is responding as well... He's been sitting immobile for a while- might need help getting the lubricant flowing through his joints again," Kaput advises Rodimus. Hah! Still got to medically advise!

Soundwave stares at Rodimus, brows pinching together. Confused and angry. Angry at his confusion. His vocoder onlines. Its mostly static, words lost in the blizzard of white noise. A few sounds can be made out: "Wh-- ... Im-- ... wo--..." His arm rises an inch but falls with a heavy thud. The confused and angry look intensifies.

"Shockwave," Rodimus explains. "He shot you. It was -- pretty bad." He unwinds himself with gentle care. "Hey, hey. It's okay. You're safe and your cassettes are safe. Shockwave's in the brig. Behaving. It's okay to take your time. Take it easy. Maybe stick to 'yes' or 'no'? Do you want me to bring some of the cassettes over? I think it's Ravage and your favorite terrible duo in here now. Laserbeak left a little bit ago."

The confusion extinguishes some of the fury on Soundwave's face. He concentrates, voice straining through the static. "Star--scream," he manages to say. Using his vocalizer is already helping to clear the clutter of feedback. Its still an effort.

Soundwave attempts to lift his left arm again and again it thuds after just a few inches above the slab. He tries with his right and Kaput is there, helping to lift and move the appendage. "It'll take a few minutes to get full locomotion. Try moving your fingers and feet first," the medic instructs. Soundwave's optics narrow, fingers curling.

"Vis--or" Soundwave croaks. Its not a question but a demand upon realizing he's not wearing it.

"Starscream--?" Rodimus is, just briefly, confused. He steps away to go and get Soundwave's visor as he checks in with the bridge in a quick ping to get Starscream's location. "On Ignition's ship," he says. "He's probably heard about you getting shot, but he hasn't exactly been over to visit. And anyway, I wouldn't let him." He watches Soundwave's hand as Kaput moves it, then moves to replace Kaput's touch with his own as he puts the visor in Soundwave's hand. "Here." His hand remains, lingering to help lift and guide Soundwave in putting the visor back in place. "Want your mask?"

Soundwave's optics flicker around him again, gaze sharpening. The longer he is awake, the better he can process things. Starscream... Is on another ship. Shockwave is in the brig. So, they are on a ship as well. He listens, lowering his vocoder output so it just buzzes quietly.

Soundwave's arm jerks away from Rodimus's touch as he puts his visor into place. It's probably because of his poor locomotion skills- hit tentacle still winds itself tightly around Rodimus's wrist. "Yes," he says stiffly, optics adjusting to his HUD display.

Kaput, having been displaced by Rodimus, has wheeled over to Soundwave's other side, poking and prodding at that arm. "Could you try lifting it?" he asks, none the wise Soundwave's grimace. It looks more like the baring of teeth. Sharp, sharp, ''very sharp'' teeth. But Soundwave complies in beginning to lift his arm. The cannon at his shoulder wiggles.

"Give him a sec to orient, okay, Kaput?" Rodimus looks from those ''awfully'' sharp teeth to Kaput and then back again, shrugging at Soundwave in a commiserative way. Medics. What a pain in the aft. Then he shifts, moving to find Soundwave's mask and bring it to him. "How're you feeling?"

Soundwave takes the mask, still glaring at Kaput as he continues to struggle to lift his arm until its extended properly before the medic. The mask clicks into place. "Redemptive," he answers coarsly, fingers spreading wide in front of Kaput's face.

"Excellent," Kaput says, completely ignoring Rodimus. He's the medic here! 'A sec' could have major life-and-death consequences after what Soundwave went through. "Very good. Now, make a fist-hkk!"

Soundwave closes his fist around Kaput's head and ''squeezes.''

That's a slightly weird answer. Rodimus gives Soundwave a sidelong glance, and starts to say something to address it -- but then there are medic problems. "Whoa, hey--! Soundwave!" He leaps, halfway scrambling over and across Soundwave to pry his fingers off Kaput. "Really not what he meant!" As he pries, he looks around wildly for help: "Ambulon!" He'd know that peeling paint anywhere. "Soundwave's, uh--." He doesn't know how to describe it. He doesn't really have to. Ambulon can see just fine what's going on, and he hits the Seriously Unruly Patient alarm. You'd be surprised how often that gets used on a ship of PTSD combat vets.

 <FS3> Soundwave rolls Unarmed: Great Success. (2 4 8 5 8 4 6 3 6 8 6 7)

 <FS3> Opposed Roll -- Soundwave=unarmed Vs Rodimus=unarmed
 <       Soundwave: Failure (6 3 4 6 3 4 5 1 2 6 2 4)          Rodimus: Good Success (5 7 7 2 2 7 4 3 3)
 <               Net Result: Rodimus wins - Solid Victory


Soundwave's fingers dig deep into Kaput, warping and bending the metal of his helm. ''Crushing'' his features inward. But he's either not as strong as he remembers or his current captors weakened him because there's no immediate ''splat'' of processor matter and energon.

Soundwave growls as Rodimus successfully peals his fingers from his would-be victim. He pushes himself up, flinging his arm to the side to throw Rodimus away. "Get off," he demands, vocodor still rough. A high-pitched whine can be heard through medibay. Like something charging.

Rodimus falls back in a stumble, hands raised. He keeps between Kaput and Soundwave, and asides lowly: "Clear the area, tell the others to stay back until security's here or he's settled." There's a sickening roil that twists through his thoughts and sours everything in his tanks, but his voice is steady as he turns his head and calls to the cassettes nearby: "Ravage! Rumble, Frenzy, can you guys get in here? Soundwave needs you."

Soundwave is orienting himself on the slab, cloven feet hitting the ground hard. He stares at them... And then his engines roar with fury. If anything, Rodimus saying the names of his cassettes only infuriate him further. "You're the imposter," he says, static snapping with his words. His shoulder cannon lifts and squares up, aimed at Rodimus. So that's what's charging. "I won't make the same mistake this time. Under my authority, you are to be terminated immediately."

The tentacle around Rodimus's arm tugs him hard as Soundwave launches an attack from his cannon.

 <FS3> Soundwave rolls Body+Body: Success. (5 1 1 5 7 3 4 4)

 <FS3> Opposed Roll -- Soundwave=firearms Vs Rodimus=reaction+reaction+1
 <       Soundwave: Success (1 4 1 7 5 4 5 3 3)          Rodimus: Good Success (8 5 4 4 5 2 7)
 <               Net Result: Rodimus wins - Marginal Victory


A cart of very expensive medical equipment is slagged to waste metal in the space where Rodimus was just standing. He's slow to move: uncomprehending, maybe. It takes the tug on his arm for him to realize that, yes, he needs to get out of the way, and he just barely manages. The air's left scorched on his side. Although staggered and sick to spark, his next action is fast: he moves to tackle and pin Soundwave before he can do any more damage to the medibay or the medics who worked so hard to restore him. Ship security -- Autobot, yes, but Decepticon too -- filters in behind him as they scuffle, with Rodimus seeking first to dismount the shoulder cannon. "Promise you're gonna thank me for this one day."

Soundwave is big and strong but uncoordinated- and this imposter is bigger than his databanks recall. Bigger but right sized- no, just bigger. He's tackled and he falls. But he still fights. "I will deliver your head to Megatron ''personally,''" is his kind retort, one hand shooting to closer around Rodimus's neck. The other curls against his side, fingers digging in as he preps to throw him off while popping his head right off. He means serious business.

 <FS3> Opposed Roll -- Soundwave=unarmed Vs Rodimus=unarmed
 <       Soundwave: Good Success (6 4 4 3 6 2 7 8 4 3 5 3)          Rodimus: Success (3 4 8 2 1 6 1 4 3)
 <               Net Result: Soundwave wins - Marginal Victory


t's true: Rodimus is bigger. But Soundwave is ''bigger yet'', and as clumsy as he is, he's still strong. The fight's swiftly turning against Rodimus, who loses his grip on the cannon. Thrown from Soundwave, he hits the side of the medical berth -- but keeps his head. He rubs his neck as ship's security falls in between them, with Ravage slinging past their legs to Soundwave, and Frenzy and Rumble not far behind. "Careful, he's--." Rodimus voccalizer clicks into static. He's what? Confused? Soundwave seemed pretty clear about things!

Soundwave picks himself up, venting hard. He doesn't have the stamina for this sort of fighting and the energy to fire his onboard weaonry will drain him still. That won't do. That won't do at all. He spots his cassettes, and his chassis unlocks, door swinging-- it snaps shot. They ''sound different.''

"What did they do to you..." Soundwave whispers to them. Concerned, yes. But its just more kerosene against the flame of his already substantial anger. "This must be brought to Lord Megatron's attention immediately. But I cannot seem to reach him..." Cannon folding behind his back, he activates his speakers. He releases an ultrasonic wave to rattle and scramble those in the medibay.

 <FS3> Opposed Roll -- Soundwave=boombox Vs Rodimus=fortitude
 <       Soundwave: Great Success (3 8 7 7 5 3 1 6 5 8 6)          Rodimus: Failure (6 2 4 5 6 6 2 4 1 5 2 1)
 <               Net Result: Soundwave wins - Crushing Victory

 <FS3> Opposed Roll -- Soundwave=boombox Vs Security=10
 <       Soundwave: Failure (5 6 3 6 3 5 2 3 5 5 5)          Security: Good Success (7 3 2 2 8 8 2 5 4 6)
 <               Net Result: Security wins - Solid Victory


The sonic attack knocks Rodimus back, dazing him. But while he might have been totally unprepared for Soundwave to attack, be caught totally by surprise, there's a significant percent of the ship that knew, they just ''knew'' that Soundwave was only biding his time.

Ship's security is more than ready to deal with him, particularly as he's still coming back to full strength. In moments they have him stasis-cuffed, and a medic passes off an inhibitor to dampen his outlier abilities. Rodimus refocuses just in time to catch the end of this process, watching Soundwave with wounded confusion.

Soundwave ends up on his knees, hands behind his back. His vents are cycling hard. A small tremble runs through his body that he refuses to acknowledge. He just woke up and already, he's exhausted. So he stops fighting back, the light of his visor looking around. Calculating. Waiting for the right opportunity to strike and free himself. Ever patient, he waits for that opportunity whenever it may come.

And in this quiet storm, Soundwave finally notices the length of the cord running from his body to Rodimus. Its still wound tightly around his hand. "What have you done to ''me!''" He looks faintly horrified. As horrified as a visor and mask can look.

It's then that Rodimus notices it, too. He pets the cord with his other hand, then cups it as he looks back up to Soundwave. He shifts -- starts to stand, then decides against it. He scoots closer, entirely undignified, and on his knees. "Soundwave, please listen to me. Please ''listen'', and know I'm telling you the truth. I know you're confused, but I promise you that you're safe and you won't be hurt. Your cassettes are safe. Please, please just listen to me." It's uncomfortably like begging; it's absolutely pleading. His arm shifts as though to lift his hand, but he brings it back, to cover the tentacle he holds.

Soundwave twitches and shudders as Rodimus strokes the tentacle. The tentacle threads between Rodimus's fingers, trying to twist in closer. Behind the mask, Soundwave's teeth snap and gnash. "Desist immediately," he says in the tone of voice of someone who's used to about his every whim being obeyed in an instant. Its hard to tell if he speaks to the cable or to Rodimus. The light narrowing in his visor, Soundwave leans forward and closer to Rodimus as the other pleads.

"No," Soundwave answers quietly. "I never listened to that Autobot Prime wannabe before we silenced him- and I most assuredly will not listen to the imposter who chooses such a fool to immitate."

Rodimus rocks forward, rising and leaning toward Soundwave in turn as he leans closer -- only to be struck, stuck, locked in place as the words are ... probably not what he was expecting.

All the energy goes out of him in an instant. He sinks back down, resting on his heels. His spoiler twitches, and settles, canted back and held in a sharp, low line. He looks to the side. "Take him to the brig. Dampen all signals and sound in or out of his cell. Make sure that he and Shockwave are not in line of sight." He shifts, scooting back and then rising. He looks to the cassettes and says, "So long as you don't threaten to harm them, one at a time will be allowed to visit you. The instant you threaten any of them, that stops. Understood?"

Soundwave does not go quietly as Security gets their orders to take him to the brig. He lurches, as if to headbutt Rodimus. "Whatever you've done to me and my cassettes- you will suffer! The punishment Lord Megatron subjected that pale immitation of me will be nothing to what your fate will be. For you and every one of your rebels." He tries and fails to throw security off of him, snarling.

The tentacle still clings to Rodimus before he's lead away.
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