Taking the Risk

Log Title: Taking the Risk Characters: Dust Devil, Elita One, Ambulon, Inferno, Scales, Spike Location: Sparkplug Repair and Medical Center Date: December 4th, 2018 TP: The Fallen TP Summary: Dust Devil's ready to risk his spark to try to save Elita. As logged by  Scales

Log session starting at 19:42:21 on Tuesday, 4 December 2018.

'''Elita One is still surrounded by all sorts of life-support machinery and energon tanks. She's been that way since the last battle of Retoris when her own skills were overmatched by the Fallen. It was twelve astrosweeps ago, but for her the moment was still right then. Being struck during her special ability lead to an unfortunate situation. She had it ripped from her frame while only she, the Fallen, and Optimus could see, and the whiplash from that did as much damage as the dark mech's drill attacks. The One fell to the ground in three pieces.'''

'''And while she had been cared for as best they can, there's only so much you can do when you cannot physically alter systems too much. Thankfully in this theory that was put out, the Time Stopper was not a part of her frame, else it might not've been able to be manipulated at all. One wonders what would've happened if that were the case.'''

'''Scales has been putting in time researching things a lot, lately, including reading up all the notes she can find in the medical systems about Elita One and the Timestopper. She's already volunteered to help sort this out, so she wants to know what she's getting into if she can. And that's why she's sitting at a bench in the Sparkplug Center, reading diagrams and occassionally peeking in the box that holds the Timestopper itself.'''

(Radio) Spike sends you a radio transmission, 'Heyah, I see I got beeped, what's up?"'

'''(Radio) You transmit, "Tryin' ta get people together to see what we can do fer Elita. You around Iacon?" to Spike.'''

(Radio) Spike sends you a radio transmission, 'I was just about ready to head out, but I can definitely delay it'

(Radio) Spike sends you a radio transmission, 'I'm...like in the Industrial District'

'''(Radio) You transmit, "Great! We're at the Sparkplug Center still." to Spike.'''

'''Spike walks into the William 'Sparkplug' Witwicky Repair and Maintenance Center. Try as he may, he still can't help but have a proud, even slightly goofy grin on his face as he enters, realizing who this building was dedicated to.'''

'''The floor shakes a bit before the Inferno's larger frame comes through the door. The medic surveys the scene before walking over to Scales. "Alright, we've been without the big man or miss fantastic over here for a while. You ready to get her back together or are we just going to let her sit and rust into spare parts?" Nevermind the fact she's curretnly stuck in time.'''

'''Dust Devil has finally arrived. Well. He was here an HOUR ago. But he was coated from head to foot with the grime of running around underneath Cybertron's surface. So one of the lesser medics snagged him and set him into the decontamination bath. He's finally out and staring at himself. He's not been THIS clean in ages. "Now can I go see about helpin Scales and Elita?" With the affirmative, he walks into the medical bay proper and tries to figure where he might be needed.'''

'''Scales blinks up at Inferno. "I'm pretty sure I've figured out how ta hook this inta Dusty's systems, so I guess I'm ready. Um.. should I be th'one watchin' Dusty or do ya want me workin' on Elita?"'''

'''Spike has his human repair gear ready. Right now, what he's hear about Elita-One has mainly been from over the public channels. Feeling at ease of the expert medics here, he merely gets his supplies ready and cleaned. He then moves over to Inferno. "Heyah, got here as soon as Scales radio'd me."'''

Ambulon raises his head, and quietly approaches the assembled group, "Do let me know if I can provide any further support. I was asked to put up an E-Filter around the area though, by Command, just in case something....untowards happens upon any activation attempts. It should help minimize any issues outside the area..."

'''Dust Devil looks a little nervous as he gets over by the medics and Elita. He sighs. "So ummmm I guess I'm as ready as I need ta be. Anyone who actually knows Dust Devil might see the fear that he's trying to not show.'''

'''Inferno nods to Scales, "Good; you get him set up and then get ready to patch Elita up." The large, red medic peers down at Spike. "You monitor Dusty Devil's systems for excess strain. I'll stand ready to aid where I can." Finally he looks to Ambulon, "That's a good plan; we can't risk the rest of Iacon. Even if it is to get Elita up and working again."'''

'''Scales shakes her body to shrug off her nerves and gets the box with the Timestopper. She glides over to an empty slab near Elita's and sets the box down there. "Over here, Dusty!" She waves a paw. "Lets get you set up." So, maybe there's a little more nervous yellow and orange in her swirly optics, but she's got the brave face on.'''

'''Elita One is unresponsive, naturally. Most of her armor has been removed to allow access to her internals. Some of the armorsmiths of Iacon have taken care to return her armor to its best state, as a sign of respect.'''

'''Ambulon nods just once, his faceplate solemn. He starts withdrawing a series of rods from another room, and extending stands from each one. Eventually, the rods will form a fence of energy to help dissipate any energy coming through it. Which...of course, means that it might only be the crew inside who are frozen inside. Forever.'''

'''Dust Devil moves to the berth and hits the control on it to make it more of a chair than berth. "Unless I'm actually injured, I'd rather be sittin." He sits down and looks at Scales, a slight smile on his face. "If I can do anything to help this, I think the biggest problem will be keepin me from overheatin." He stares at the part and then looks at Elita. "Let's hope this works."'''

'''Spike gives a confident smile at Dust Devil as he types in some commands at his own portable workstation. "You ready to do this, Dusty? I think I'm set on this side for monitoring you. Your levels seem pretty stable, minus some natural elevations of your electro-pulse."'''

Dust Devil glares slightly at Spike for pointing out that he's reading as nervous on the machine.

'''Inferno steps back to observe, that way he can move where ever he is needed. He also pulls out his extinguisher rifle... in case of emergencies.'''

'''There's a clatter during the quiet moment, that breaks the silence. Ambulon leans over, picking up one of the rods that fell over. "Sorry. Sorry..." He sets it back up, a bit more gingerly this time, as things get settled in. After the eighth rod is in place. He says softly, "Activating the field. Good luck." A soft hum fills the air as the dampening shell starts to coalesce into a thin milky-blue dome. Slowly it spreads up form a dome over the area. Its still quite passable, just a protective addition.'''

'''Scales opens a couple of panels up on Dust Devil and starts making connections. "Lemme know if you feel anything strange, okay, Dusty? I don't want anything startin' up until we've got everybody in place."'''

'''There's a grunting sound as a small electropig runs through Iacon Medical, much to the clamor and dismay of most of the staff. It runs past, and out the main doors...'''

Several seconds later, Folly runs through the halls, her arms stretched out before her, and a worried look in her eyes, as she apparently follows the electropig's path.

'''Spike looks at Dust Devil as he can feel his glare. "Which is totally normal, the elevated pulse. Sometimes, humans call it 'white coat' syndrome."'''

'''Dust Devil nods slightly and watches Scales work. "I can take a bit of strain don't worry. I've pulled through worse. We just need ta get Elita up and runnin. Just glad my favorite medics are here." He tries to calm himself so that Spike will stop being able to notice him being nervous.'''

'''Spike continues to look at the sensors, then at Dust Devil. His voice is calm. "Still fine...no particular severe strains on your systems - showing graduated elevated areas, but no sharp upticks.'''

'''Once everyone seems to be ready Inferno gives the word. "Alright, we can't stop once we get going with this; unless it looks like we're going to lose one, or both, of them. Otherwise just keep going and I'll jump in to help when it's needed/"'''

'''Dust Devil steeples his fingers while he leans his elbows on the armrests. He leans his head against his hands once everything is connected, trying to get a feel for what his systems are currently doing and preparing to take on the new load.'''

'''Scales gets the last things settled into place and then gives Dust Devil a pat on the shoulder. "That should do it." She nods to Spike. "He's all yours," and she switches over to Elita's slab and makes sure to pull a shelf of tools a little closer so it's within her reach.'''

'''It feels nothing at all like Dust Devil's forcefield activation. That's long since become instinctive. The Time Stopper, however, that's something else entirely. This is /First Age/ equipment, if the Fallen was telling the truth. A power of intricacy and subtlety, with a horrible backlash to those unaccustomed to it. Just seeming to concentrate on it seems to give a feel akin to a void, a black hole that seemed to slip out of his concentration and devoured any energy rerouted that direction.'''

'''Dust Devil immediately trembles as he tries to route energy into the systems from all the unnecessary sources first. "Energy...it's." He doesn't finish the sentence, knowing he's got to get a handle on this. yes his forcefield is a tame part compared to this. This...this is beyond frightening. But he's faced his fears before. He needs to help turn off the time stopper on Elita. "Is there a section you need turned off first or you need all of it down or what. It's not the same...Primus...we can't do this for long. Tell me what you need!"'''

"What we all need is for you to keep a handle on yourself, Dust Devil. I have no idea what's going on with that system or how it's affecting you, but if you can't keep calm, or at least quiet enough that I can hear Scales and Spike, you're just going to make things worse," Inferno's tone isn't harsh, just firm.

"You can do that for Elita right? If we do this right we all get to walk away with a story of putting her back together against impossible odds."

GAME: Scales PASSES a TECHNICAL roll of High difficulty.

'''Scales glances up at Dust Devil, gaze flickering at his posture and expression, and she pats Elita right over the laser core. "Right here, Dusty. Jus' focus." She looks over at Spike. "C'n we give 'im a boost without overcharging 'im?"'''

'''Dust Devil is told to be quiet and is confused but does what he's told. He's got himself hooked to an energy vacuum. At least if was talking, he could relay anything weird or at least calm himself down by talking. He stares at Elita.'''

'''Ambulon moves to his feet from his desk in the ward. He senses the possibility of an issue at hand, "Overcharging? Is there a problem?"'''

'''Scales glances over. "The Timestopper's got a big power draw," she explains. "Dusty could use more oomph if we're going to get it working properly."'''

'''Ambulon looks concerned as he pulls an energon hose off the wall. "You're talking about overclocking his fuel pump. That's...risky." He pauses, "You're not prepared for this, nor the backlash it can cause. Its going to be better off for everyone if you stop now and prepare for that problem, try again later."'''

'''The large red firetruck mech looks down at Ambulon. "You heard her, give the boy some more juice, and let us worry about if things go wrong." The mch shifts his grip on the rifle as he preps to use it either to handle an energy issue, a fire, or both.'''

'''Dust Devil frowns. WOuldn't be the first time he's overclocked things. So now that he's done rerouting his electrical systems and proceeds to give more to the timestopper to hopefully give it enough to engage. His forcefield is also being kept in play. Dark optics brighten as his focus goes to trying to control the situation.'''

'''Scales glances at Inferno, not quite sure that's the proper attitude, but, well, he's the more experienced mech. She makes a little circle with her paws like a target where Elita's core would be. "Over here, Dusty."'''

'''Ambulon frowns, his optics shifting. "Alright, I don't have to like it though." He hefts the energon hose with both hands, and plants it a bit forcefully against Dust Devil's lower back. "The extra energon should help this out, but..." He looks to the wall, and then back, "If you're really running that short of power then you need Nucleon." The mech draws a syringe from the wallspace as well, showing the energon variant. "Its great for additional power supply, but it has a tendency to lock up transformation cogs something fierce. If this works, and I am not confident that it will, you're going to be without your altmode for a while." He hesitates as the syringe hovers against the fuel line, then injects into it like a stent.'''

'''Inferno watches and waits, because there's not much more he can do right now. Unless something goes wrong, which he really would rather it not, if he were to be honest.'''

'''Nucleon is named properly. Pure napalm floods into Dust Devil's frame, threatening to boil him alive from within. "It hurts like a bastard too." Ambulon says, perhaps a bit late. Nucleon has been used by shock troops, Wreckers, and certain elements of the Decepticon lawbringers as standard fuel, sort of a combat cocktail. And Dust Devil can see why that is so. His optics grow sharper, his readouts double in power output, though fluctuating, and most importantly that fuel pump starts to increase output. Already spark strain has started within his chest, as the Time Stopper finally starts to receive enough power that that black hole starts to fill.'''

'''Soon enough, where there was once a void, is just a sense of acuity. Its hard to describe, like the awareness of another presence. It charges upward, as Dust Devil focuses on the device...'''

'''Dust Devil yelps before he manages to stifle it. His dark optics are normal mech bright and he shudders. All the energy is routed into the blasted time stopper and he continues to shake. He tries to focus on Elita and the spot where Scales indicates. "Come on...just listen ta me long enough that we can get 'er fixed...."'''

'''Scales makes herself stop looking at Dust Devil so she can focus on Elita. There's lots of other smart medics Right Here and they'll move if Dust Devil needs it. But she's the one assigned to start working as soon as Elita's systems move.'''

'''That odd sense of Dust Devil's comes into clarity as the world around him just seems to grow mute and distant. The crew was already quiet and unmoving, but now they simply were scenery, background. The world was silent in where Dust Devil sat, in that space between moments. Ambulon's concern as he held the energon line. Inferno's wary watch with his dampening beam. Scales vigil over Elita One. They were all just the background. Noiseless, Motionless, Statues.'''

'''Inferno lightly taps on the side of the rifle as hi optics shift between Dust Devil and Elita One. Somewhere in his networks there's a tiny voice telling him this was a ridiculous idea and it should be stopped -right now-. Luckily gor him it was very tiny, kind of like an annoying gnat, and just as easily disregarded.'''

'''Dust Devil's sense of fear and nervousness rises. "Scales? Scales? are you okay? Elita? oh slag oh slag oh slag.....gotta calm down. Gotta focus on Elita. Focus it down use the forcefield method ta bring it down or somethin. Primus this hurts." Yeah, this wouldn't even be remotely fun to use.'''

Nothing seems to happen.

'''Actually, 'nothing' might be a misnomer here. There IS that searing pain in Dust Devil's chest, but that's probably just the pangs of a spark attack he was warned about.'''

'''Scales waits, ends up glancing up at Dust Devil again. "Dusty?"'''

'''Dust Devil is terrified and in pain but in the end he brought this apon himself. He just tries to focus on Elita. NOthing is happening for him. But who knows what is really happening. His optics burn brighter with the pain and extra energy. "Come on Elita...." He hopes that this is not what Elita has had to deal with all this time. Being in pain and unable to stop it. Perhaps she's on the other half of this. She's the one frozen and hopefully not suffering. But she's got to wake up.'''

'''The rifle comes up to Inferno's shoulder, but not raised towards either of the patients. "Ambulon, how long does Dusty have before I have to shut things down? Give me your best guess."'''

Ambulon frowns, "It shouldn't have happened to begin with. The mere injection of Nucleon into a body without it being properly tested is unsafe. My best guess is 'immediately.'"

'''Scales 's tail twitches. "C'mon, Dusty," she says softly. "On, then off again."'''

GAME: Dust Devil PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of Average difficulty.

'''Dust Devil sits there in a muted room, panicking to himself, as everyone around him moves at a speed so incomprehensibly slow that they may as well be the living dead. That pain returns, throbbing again in his chest. Were they dead, or perhaps was he? Perhaps this entire operation failed, and he was just seeing his last moments. No late-stage heroics. No affable, just reckless fun. No chance to be anything better than a turbo-rodding young punk. He could die here and now, if his spark chose to give out due to the Nucleon injection. Or perhaps his fuel pump. It was working triple time as it stands. If he /did/ have a critical malfunction, could anyone help him?'''

Wait.

'''Didn't Elita One pull Prime out of the Time Stopper's ability at Retoris? Prime saw what happened.'''

She did it before, when he was about to be dropped into acid by Starscream.

'''Dust Devil was afraid to try moving because he was hooked up to everything. But eyeing his connections he thinks he can move enough to touch Elita. His hand going for the section that Scales asked him to to.'''

'''Inferno rolls his optics at Ambulon a bit. "Yes, yes, I know. I'll let Ratchet give me a stern talking to about not following proper procedure later. Just let me know when the kid's readings are heading into fatal territory."'''

'''As Dust Devil touches Elita One, her muted coloring (almost that deadly shade of grey) returns to its normal mauve coloring. Immediately, she strains in utter agony, couging energon from her faceplate. She's not immediately leaking out, but the Femme Commander is in dire need of medical assistance. Her optics pass blankly over the room.'''

\\SUDDENLY\\

Dust Devil is forward and leaning out of his chair, alarms and beeps are going off like mad as Elita One writhes on the bed, restrained enough to keep from thrashing about in her stupor.

'''Scales suppresses a yelp and begins making connections as fast as her little paws can go. "That's it! Dust Devil, you c'n stop now."'''

'''Dust Devil isn't feeling good at all as stuff around him seems to be changing. He slumps back in his seat as his optics go out and he tries focusing on turning the blasted thing off safely.'''

Log session ending at 23:12:13 on Tuesday, 4 December 2018.