A Reach for the Cure

Log Title: A Reach for the Cure

Characters: Mixmaster, Scourge, Starscream, Sweep Sunder, Windshear

Location: Repair Bay - First Floor - Trypticon

Date: October 01, 2012

TP: Dweller TP

Summary: Mixmaster tries out a new 'cure' for the Dweller nano-virus.

''As logged by Mixmaster - Monday, October 01, 2012, 9:16 PM -

Repair Bay - First Floor - Trypticon

 * This is not a good place to be. Everything about this room whispers that. The soulless slate-grey walls trimmed with a purple that puts one in mind of suffocating blood. The medtables, hard and unyielding, and each fitted with heavy metal restraints. The consoles beside each that stand like tombstones, and despite their benign purpose, are none too reassuring to patients. Even the lighting in Trypticon's medical bay is harsh. Bright and glaring, easily enough to see one's work by, but as cold and heartless as Trypticon himself.
 * A storage rack in one corner features a set of simple medical droids, which many Decepticons would rather trust than a medic they may have offended, and who might still be carrying a grudge.

Mixmaster has been working feverishly in his lab all night and all day, his optics burning crimson as he cackles to himself madly. Starscream is in the isolation room all day. He’s sitting there staring at Windshear's body. Why does this Seeker seem to mean so much to him? Scourge knows but that’s all that know. Unmoving and silent, the Air Commander sits and just stares. Windshear can't be dead, but he’s.. dead. But there’s energy in his body still. But he’s got no vitals. It’s so confusing and Starscream is trying to sort it out, trying to get his scientific mind and training to look at this analytically (even if his player can’t spell it) but his emotions and shock at losing a brother no one knows he’s got keep getting in the way. Is it denial that keeps him hanging on to the hope that the Zombie Seeker isn’t dead or is there some real clue he’s missing here? And so he just sits and stares at the body as he’s been doing all day. Mixmaster finishes his work, and carefully loads his shoulder-mounted cannon. Mixmaster attaches his cannon to a hose leading to his back-mounted tank, adjusting it for maximum flexibility. Mixmaster steps from his lab, looking around the repair bay. Starscream is still sitting there staring at Windshear. Windshear is still lying there looking dead... Mixmaster walks to the glass, peering in at Starscream and Windshear. Starscream doesn’t notice he’s being watched and is still just staring and thinking. The answer to what’s going on is right in front of him but he can’t think clearly right now. And he’s getting mad because of it. Windshear is still just lying there looking dead. Mixmaster gazes around the room. Scourge is napping on his bunk, while Sunder paces beside it. Mixmaster approaches Sunder. "Have all the Sweeps been infected?" Sunder shakes his head. "Geist, Dredclaw, Revenant, and Bloodwulf, to my knowledge, have not," he says. Mixmaster says, "Where are they?" "They are out in deep space. I have sent them a message. Hopefully they will avoid being infected," Sunder says. Starscream hears voices and stands from his chair suddenly and turns toward the rest of the repair bay. "Report, Mixmaster." he says as he walks out of the chamber which considering the front glass got shattered last night, isn’t too isolated anymore from the rest of the repair bay. Mixmaster turns to look at Starscream. He cackles, "I have a new cure ready for those who need it." Mixmaster pats the barrel of his hand-held cannon affectionately. Starscream looks at the cannon, "IS that so? What about your exposure to the nanovirus? I read your report. What has it done to you or do you know?" he silently brings his arm cannons online and watches the Constructicon closely. Mixmaster cackles, "Nothing much. Sapped my energy at first, but helped me find a way to make everything better. Nothing spurs invention like necessity! At this point, it's more of a preventive measure, to protect those not yet infected. If it's shown to work, however, it'll be step one towards a full cure!" Starscream narrows his optics, "Shoot Scourge with it. Let me see what it does." Mixmaster cackles, "Righto!" He holds up his cannon, and douses Scourge in a thick nanomite goo. Starscream wrinkles his nose, "That’s... just wrong, Mixmaster." The goo initially energizes the host. Starscream watches the goo cover the Sweep, "How is sliming the Sweep supposed to cure this.. virus?" Mixmaster cackles, "It's a counter-virus. It should interact with your infection." Scourge is slimed! Moments later, he wakes up and yawns. "What the frag...? What is this mess all over me?" he growls. Mixmaster cackles, "See? Success!" Sunder sees the effect on Scourge. "Slime me too!" Mixmaster cackles, "With relish!" He turns his cannon on Sunder, sliming him as well. Of course, really this is merely a more energy-rich, potent form of the nano-virus... one that has its own initial energy source for increased infection rate and initial 'positive' results. All will soon worship the Dweller! While Scourge watches in disgust with the glee that Sunder seems to be embracing the Sliming, Sunder grins, tilting his head back as he's splatted. "Ah, much better, he says, a few moments later, "I do believe I'm not so sleepy now." Starscream isn’t sure about this. "You still haven’t answered me, Mixmaster. What did the virus do to you?" of course it’s right there under his nose but sometimes the Air Commander has his moments and this is one of them. Mixmaster looks at Starscream. "I told you. It initially dampened my energy, like with the Sweeps, but that enabled me to work out its mechanisms and use them to my advantage. This works better as a defense BEFORE you get infected..." Starscreamwalks around Mixmaster and looks at the two slimed Sweeps, "So then you slimed yourself to cure yourself?" he takes in Mixmaster’s last remark and looks at the Sweeps again, "But they are already infected as are you so this is no cure!" Mixmaster cackles, "Well, for now it slows the infection and restores energy." "Is this true, Scourge?" Starscream asks suddenly. Scourge looks distracted. "Is what true?" Mixmaster cackles, "With the uninfected, however, it should be able to ward it off completely until we find a complete cure." Starscream makes an irritated sound. "Scan yourself, fool and tell me if the Constructicons goo has indeed slowed down the virus!" Mixmaster keeps his cannon ready. "Yes. Scan yourself, fool," he parrots Starscream. He shakes his head as Scourge seems to power down again. "Well, it's not perfect yet, but it's a start. I'll do some field testing." Starscream nods, "There is the Sweep that escaped; Plunder. Or perhaps we can allow the Autobots to deal with him -- catch what he’s got and destroy themselves perhaps." Mixmaster says, "I can make him a priority. I'll head out, and report back with my progress." "Do that, Mixmaster." Starscream says as he heads back to the computer terminal to again go through everything they know so far to see what he’s got to be missing. Mixmaster nods, and heads out, taking his disease-gun with him.