Misery Loves Company

Log Title: Misery Loves Company

Characters: Dreadwind, Floodlight

Location: Uluru, Australia

Date: April 10, 2016

Summary: Dreadwind and Floodlight discuss the meaning of existence.

As logged by Floodlight - Sunday, April 10, 2016, 5:43 PM

Communications Room - Second Floor - Trypticon
This room is filled with delicate radio monitoring and broadcast equipment. The hum of moisture and temperature regulators permeates the room, providing background to the low murmur of intercepted radio broadcasts and monitored channels. Heavy computer banks digitally store the incoming data for later analysis. A subspace radio feed has been installed for attempted communication with Cybertron.

<> Dreadwind sighs, "Such a desolate land. Everything out here is trying to kill everything else. How... appropriate."

<> Dreadwind says, "Hmmm... Does anyone know the name of this giant, red rock in the middle of the desert is called?"

<> Analyst Floodlight says, "Accessing your location.... chances are you're referring to Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, a large sandstone rock formation."

<> Analyst Floodlight says, "Er, sir."

<> Dreadwind says, "Ayers Rock... Adequate. A giant rock, sitting out here in the middle of nowhere. Well, at least it stands out."

<> Dreadwind says, "There's plenty of room up here for anyone else who wants to bask in the loneliness." <> Analyst Floodlight says, "Do you require assistance, sir?" <> Dreadwind says, "In this endless waste of time called life? Always."

<> Analyst Floodlight says, "... I will attend you, sir."

Floodlight flies to Australian Continent - Australia.

Australian Continent - Australia
Welcome to the land down under, where women glow and men plunder. Can you hear, can you hear the thunder? You better run, you better take cover. Australia is an island so large it is considered a continent in its own right. Formerly a British penal colony, Australia is known these days for koalas, didgeridoos and Crocodile Dundee. Australia's interior is hot and dry desert, while the coastal regions can be quite mild and pleasant. Tasmania, a smaller island off-shoot, is located off the southeastern coast of Australia, near the province of Victoria. The separate and independent nation of New Zealand is 1,200 miles southeast of Australia.

Almost smack dab in the middle of Australia is a giant, red, sandstone rock formation: Ayers Rock. It stands out fairly visibly from a distance. And, rather distinct on its surface, is a mechanical form that looks too sad to be a Seeker. Dreadwind is slowly pacing around the top of the Rock, occasionally pausing to look out over the surrounding landscape.

Floodlight is a small blue scout vehicle little larger than a passenger car with wings. She is shaped vaguely like a bird of prey, but moves more like a hummingbird when in flight. Her cockpit window is tinted a very dark purple, making it difficult to see who is flying this thing. Her wings are a pale violet, and each sports a prominent Decepticon emblem. The underside of the craft is lined with strategically mounted floodlights and an advanced sensor package, although weapon systems look nominal at best.

Floodlight slowly flies into the area in her tiny scoutcraft mode. She isn't very fast, but she seems determined as she zeroes in on Dreadwind's location, resolute to help however is necessary. She zips up next to the dour Seeker, and then transforms, hanging in the air for a moment like a marionette on a string. Finally she lands however, and seems to somehow bow, curtsy, and salute all at the same time.

Dreadwind's head tilts slightly as he hears the incoming hover jet. His optics focus on the shorter Decepticon for a few moments before resuming his pacing. Just as the silence is about to get uncomfortable, his dour voice speaks up, "This land is so naturally hostile."

Floodlight is a small, unassuming Decepticon femme. If it wasn't for the purple logo featured prominently in the center of her chest, most people would never associate her with a faction known for being an "evil empire." Her head seems a little large for her body, and is protected by a bulky blue helmet. Her face is a pale violet, with big crimson optics and a small mouth. Her body is dark blue and slender, with a violet chest plate sporting a large purple Decepticon sigil. Her arms are slim and violet, with little light-purple wings. Her hands are a deep blue matching her frame, ending with long delicate fingers. Her legs are extremely long, with violet thighs and navy blue calves. Her feet are slight and blue, and point downward when she hovers in robot mode. Her overall manner is shy and unassertive, and in a large group of Decepticons she seems to quickly disappear into the background.

Floodlight looks around, swiveling her largish head on her comparably slight body. "What here could possibly be considered a hostile threat to a powerful warrior like you?" she gasps. Her big crimson optics widen even further, and she quickly covers her mouth with one small hand. "Er, sorry, sir," she says immediately, sounding excessively apologetic. "I shouldn't have spoken out of turn."

Dreadwind quirks an optic ridge, looking back over his shoulder, "On the contrary. I welcome your input." His optics remain focused on Floodlight as he turns to face her, scrutinizing the other Decepticon for the first time. "Maybe not hostile to us, but naturally hostile to its own occupants. It's as if this land doesn't want its own creatures living here."

Floodlight casts her gaze around again, as if this thought never occurred to her. "Hm. Maybe this planet doesn't want its creatures on it. The humans seem callous to the damage they do to it - if I was Earth, I wouldn't want them here, either. The planet might thank us for wiping them out if it came to that." Floodlight's voice is gentle and quiet as she discusses the need for possible genocide.

Dreadwind strides up to the nearest edge of the rock and peers out again, sighing like a burden is constantly resting on his shoulders, "It makes me wonder what horrors it might conjure to be rid of us."

Floodlight frowns, and pauses. After a long moment of thought, she says, "Well, Decepticons have been here for millions of stellar cycles, and active for decivorns. It hasn't conjured up anything against us yet, and we've done a lot more damage than the humans have. We are stronger than anything this planet can through at us - collectively, anyway." She walks over to the edge and looks down at the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park below.

Dreadwind's head tilts upward to gaze at the stars, "And yet what has that accomplished? It should be child's play to simply drain the life from this planet and move on. The Autobots were hardly a threat on Cybertron..." He looks down toward the landscape below, "What makes this place so different?"

Floodlight takes what might be a rhetorical statement and treats it like a request for information. "Analysis suggests that Lord Megatron wishes to conquer this world and make an example of it - not just drain it and move on. To simply destroy it would not be to establish dominion over it. If we're to wield true power, we must bring other, less powerful civilizations to their knees and force them to accept our will. Otherwise we are no true empire."

Dreadwind's shoulders slump, like Floodlight just kicked his kitten over the edge of the Rock, "I suspected as much. It all seems so pointless..." He shakes his head slowly, "If these local creatures can make such a stand against a world so utterly determined to destroy them, it seems to reason they would never bow down to us?"

Floodlight looks at Dreadwind very seriously. "They will submit to us - it is only a matter of time. They are stubborn, but small and weak, with extremely short lifespans. Already there are many who don't remember what life was like on this planet before we came. Once the Autobots are destroyed, it will be very few generations before the humans know nothing besides our domination."

Dreadwind turns back to regard Floodlight, "Will they submit?" He turns back to gaze up at the stars, "Or will they choose oblivion?" Air escapes from around his faceplate in a slow, wistful sigh, "Were the choice only so simple for us all."

Floodlight stops at that, and takes a moment to think on it. "Well," she says at last. "Either way, we still win. If they choose oblivion, it's their choice, and it'll still serve as a message to others - submit, or die. We have a different choice - conquer, or expire. It's in our fuel. We can't stay stagnant, letting our culture rot like the Autobots would have us do. We must grow, or perish. There is no other alternative."