2023 (MMXXIII) is the current year and is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2023rd year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 23rd year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 4th year of the 2020s decade.
January 1 - "Solar Flare Space Strife" - Solar flares are causing widespread communication blackouts on Earth. A combined group of beings from both Earth and Cybertron work together to defend the planet from unknown assailants suspected to be in liege with Liege Maximo.
Jan 01 - Unprecedented Global Outages[]
Numerous Scientific Communities are reporting that the recent unexpected surge in solar activity is creating world-wide effects. From auroras being seen globally, even at the equator, to interference with satellite communications, the surge in magnetic and ionizing radiation from our own sun is creating panic among many communities.
Many governments are issuing warnings to their countries to expect Internet and communication outages and for their citizens to power down any sensitive equipment due to possible and potential damage. Flights are being grounded globally which is causing a significant economic impact on New Year's Day. One scientist, who declined being named stated that "This is the largest ICME that we have seen since the xxx in the 1800's that is colliding with the Earth. Normally there are weeks of signs that lead up to such a moment, this one slipped past our monitors. Turn off your cell phones and enjoy the auroras, they're going to be bright for the next 3 days."
Leaked footage from several amateur astronomers show something moving into Earth's orbit. The unknown is large enough to shadow the alien inhabited and controlled Vilnacron station and has taken up roost between Earth and the moon. One sky-watcher commented that it gave off a sense of being a space-galleon, having large wings that appeared to be sails streaming out from it. (Images of the Arcadiawith solar sails deployed).
This is Herman Koff with the 7 am News. Next, in an upset, the Georgia Bulldogs pushed for a win in the 2022 Sugar bowl, beating Ohio State....
Jan 02 - Warehouse Blows Up[]
An isolated warehouse over in Los Angeles was destroyed over in what authorities are calling a 'tragic yet common accident' that erupted in a fireball and left a large crater behind. The eruption, accompanied by a spontaneous song and dance number by fading band 'the Survivors' or 'The Starvers' depending on who you ask bookeneded it, leaving with what some members of the media wonder is in the fading graces of these final made for explosion performances.
In perhaps the sign of an era, online sales of Jem and the Holograms comeback tour are starting to slow. Has market saturation set in? But LP sales are still strong, as are cassette and Betamax performances.
A lot of the tabloids have had readers writing in with questions about stuff they have heard on the Broadband channel about a romance between Veritas Prime and Interrogator. The tabloids answer those letters as best they can and some of the tabloids are offering cash for more details.
Jan 17 - Cobra Helps Recovery Efforts[]
LA Newspapers report that Cobra members called Ascension Wing have been and are still counseling the Starlight Girls and others at Starlight Mansion since new cases have stopped being reported. They are handing out 'Care Boxes' that include a few scanners that can detect the Virus and strip the Virus code from recordings without damaging the rest of the media file, and a white noise like machine that can counter the Virus in a small meeting room to Not For Profit Community Groups who ask. Medi-Vipers have made it known that there are larger boxes available for larger Not for Profit Organizations.
Please note that these are long-running events. Many of our TPs span extended periods of time as we move from 'flavor' to 'flavor' to allow as many players as possible a chance to RP their various characters. Just like the Earth has an axial tilt allowing for seasons to change in the hemispheres, our target flavor changes from time to time.
- Removal of the carrier-music and exposure to non-infected helps
- Crosscut suggested Spike/Imager/Blaster go to Eurythmia
- The 'source' of the affected music has been taken out
- The effects linger: light for some, deeply impacting for others
- The IC Support group for the affected: Channel Recovery
- Request to meet with Elita to prioritize projects
- Crosscut's Report
- Starscream remains in Prison
- Dust Devil to seek Honeytrap to check true loyalties
- Another mission into Helex: Triumverate? Other Survivors?
- Requesting Spike/Imager/Blaster travel to Eurythmia
- Request to meet with Elita to discuss policy and priorities
- Suggest Orion shift civilian politic route
- Looking for something in the Arctic
- Datapod collected and with Skyfire pending research
- 2 'agents: Rook and Singularity and a squad
- Crosscheck performed autopsies and discovered a lot!
- LM's forces are clones
- Scanner being built to detect others
- Coding traced back to Ancient Decepticons
- Removal of the carrier-music and exposure to non-infected helps
- The 'source' of the affected music has been taken out (Silica)
- The effects linger: light for some, deep impact for others
- The IC Support group for the affected: Channel Recovery
- General Hawk Whooped Flint back into his right mind
- Lady Jaye reported possible coup against Mindbender by Interrogator
- Flint on leave of absence due to lingering effects from Jem 'virus'
Jan 21 - Dec-Jan Cobra RP/TP Review[]
-Cobraaaa- Things that have happened that would be ICly known
- Removal of the carrier-music and exposure to non-infected helps
- The 'source' of the affected music has been taken out (Silica)
- The effects linger: light for some, deep impact for others
- The IC Support group for the affected: Channel Recovery
- Zarana with Cold Slither planning Concert for countermusic
- Retrieve Dr. Vandermeer (MASS Scientist)
- Retrieve Red Right Hand and turn over to CC
- Report on stolen jet, any useful tech?
- Bring Holograms to CC for personal questioning
- Mindbender to Upgrade BATs for Interrogator's team for killing TFs
- CC orders: Top priority get hands on Cybertronian Tech
- Lady V to handle field mission Command
- Bloody Bones and team hit Monte Carlo up and got loot $$$
- Ascension Wing consolidating to Crown City Palace, Cobra Unity
- Liege Maximo responsible for sun flares, attack in Arctic
- Salvage, fluids, parts were collected
- Major Bludd was freed, mostly, from the Jem Virus
- Bloody Bones has a contact with a transformer, Esmeral, Destron Empress
- She's visited the island as part of business negotiations
- Interrogator reported working with Veritas during solar flares
- Lady V has set mission parameters for initial plan
RP Hooks: Autobot
- Action: More Helex Recon, possible survivors?
- Research: Analysis, review of PP bits/Nightbird bits with Jetfire
- Research: Analysis, review of Nightbird bits collected by Hot Rod
- Action: Testing Wheeljack's inventions
- Action: Assemblae more exploration, results from Computer digging
- Action: More Rebuilding in Tyrest
- Research: JEM Virus timeline, origination
- Research: Sleeping Sickness
- Action: Spike/Imager/Blaster to Eurythmia
- Research: Rumor that the imprisoned Starscream is a fake
- Research: Skyfire's Datapod
RP Hooks: Decepticon
- Action: Convoy Raids and border fights are ON the menu!
- Action: Infil/assault list:
G.I.Joe
- Action: Dig into Broca Beach for Cobra Tech: Hiss Tanks
- Action: Capture HISS Tanks
- Action: Help Rebuild Ocean City
- Action: Collect MASS device Crystals from Sea of Ice
- Research: MASS Device
- Research: NY Zombies
- Research: What did Cobra get from FBI Raid that exposed Chuckles
- Action: Protect Cottonbolt
- Action: Support group for Dark Jem Virus
- Action: Operation Trojan Horse
Cobra
- Action: Retrieve Dr. Vandermeer
- Action: Find, retrieve Right Red Hand
- Action: Get AI Computer Silica from Starlight Mansion
- Action: Hologram team to CC for questioning
- Research: JEM Virus influence on Cobra ranks
- Action/Research: Upgrade BATs to kill Cybertronians
- Action: Get hands on Cybertronian Tech
- Research: Area Spike and Buster were exploring in Arctic
8 February - Explosion destroys abandoned warehouse[]
SANTA MONICA, CA
A violent explosion rocked the North of Montana neighborhood of Santa Monica yesterday afternoon.
No injuries were reported, but the two-alarm blaze that broke out completely destroyed an abandoned warehouse near 20th and Marguerita Avenue.
8 February - Man pistol-whipped at Pier[]
SANTA MONICA, CA -- A man was taken to the hospital after being pistol-whipped around 4 pm Tuesday.
Police were originally called for the report of an altercation on the Santa Monica Pier.
The man had cuts and heavy bruising on his face.
He was initially treated at the Pier at the Urgent Care On Wheels kiosk before being sent on to Santa Monica Medical Center for treatment. The medical staff describe his injuries as non-life threatening, and he has since been released.
Two women were reportedly also involved in the altercation but could not be located on the scene.
8 February - "Hanging On Hope" - Bludd, Starlock, and Concealer all meet up for the first time, also the internet is talking about sharing underwear, go figure.
Feb 10 - Weather Report[]
Two days ago, utterly massive lightning storm has slammed the area just north of Altihex, turning a full malm of Cybertron's monorail track to sheer slag.
Feb 10 - A Call for Assistance[]
<< the following broadcast is made throughout Cybertron, revealing Incognito's form from his chest up >>
"I have recently been made aware, courtesy of Blizzard of the Weatherbots, that the same storm that devastated the area just north of Altihex is headed for Tyger Pax and will arrive in approximately four solar cycles. The current estimate is that the city will be facing six hours of unprecedented meteorological activity - likely a constant barrage of lightning strikes. The civilian population of Tyger Pax, such as it is, has already been placed on notice to evacuate within the next two solar cycles. Hopefully, any city-states who do receive any civilian refugees from us will harbor them for the duration.
"That being said... Tyger Pax has been through a lot within the last decade. It's been ruined, cyberformed into a twisted abomination of what it once was, then cyberformed back into its original layout. But I remember when Tyger Pax was known as the City of Wonders. There may not be as many of us as there once were, but we are first and foremost scientists and engineers. We take pride in our city - in our home - and be damned if we're going to let a storm bring us low after all the hardships we've endured.
"I'm not good at asking for help - it's a failing of mine that I feel the responsibility to handle the problems that face the Council of Tyger Pax, even though my role has historically been strictly advisory in nature. So, I find myself in unfamiliar territory now: Tyger Pax needs all the help it can get to weather the coming storm, and so I ask now for that help. We've tried our best to remain neutral in the political affairs of Cybertron, and make no mistake - we will continue to do so. But we will not turn away help offered in good faith.
"I do have a plan, not only in simply weathering the storm, but quite possibly finding a way to harness the electrical energy output and utilize it in such a way as to benefit all of Cybertron. I will explain in more detail to those who wish it, but for now, my fellow Tyger Paxians and I have a city to safeguard."
<< Incognito's visage disappears, replaced by the typical Cybertronian programming >>
Feb 12 - Broca Beach Incident[]
Burne Thompson of Channel 6 News with a Superbowl news update! "During the afternoon, today, in New Jersey near the superfund site of what was once Broca Beach, a series of events unfolded that is currently being investigated. Local EMS first had reports of an explosion and gunfire. Eyewitnesses stated that they saw what looked like a person cosplaying as a character from Halo video games fighting aliens. However, this then led to a chase with a mysterious vehicle involved in a chase. Local authorities arrived on scene to take the vehicle to Lakehurst, New Jersey for further investigations. Authorities have not found a lead on the driver who went missing, however pieces of armor and weapons have been discovered. Sources are trying to figure out if this is connected to the incident that took place roughly a year ago. More news at 11."
Press Release: Accountable Renewal Biosystems Co Stock Market Handle: ARBCO
Hundreds of people evacuated an Ohio town after a freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed on Feb. 3 and the company was forced to vent and burn carcinogenic chemicals from crashed train cars. Driving the news: The Norfolk Southern train was pulling at least five tanker cars containing vinyl chloride, a colorless but hazardous gas used to produce PVC plastic and vinyl products.
Context: Norfolk Southern officials said some of the cars carrying the vinyl chloride were not breached during the crash but were at risk of exploding, so crews released and burned their contents on Feb. 6, creating a massive smoke plume above the town for several hours.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said on the following Tuesday he authorized the operation of the release and burning of the vinyl chloride at the crash site, saying officials faced two bad options between potentially letting a car containing the material explode or doing the release.
ARB Co, a company also known as Accountable Renewal Biosystems Co owned by Alan Cavil D'Vente has been helping by offering to help with the cleanup and the area. He was unavailable for further comment. His American staff indicated that they are disposing of the waste and materials to an offshore location.
Feb 17 - Rumors "Interspecies Romance?[]
"The Five" begins, with Fox News hosts sitting on a set with a blue background. A small red square in the upper left corner reads, [LIVE]. The chevron across the bottom reads: "FOX NEWS|LA RESIDENTS: TRANSFORMER ROMANCE IS 'STRANGE'"
Marty Minkler, Fox News Host, begins, "Hello, everyone. I'm Marty Minkler, along with Hector Ramirez, Harold Ford, Jr., Jesse Watters, and Greg Gutfeld. It's 5:00 in New York City and this is THE FIVE.
"It's been weeks since the epic battle between Optimus Prime and Megatron in downtown Los Angeles, and it seems like the Transformers and their human allies have decided to just move into the warehouse district and... open a music club? And worse, social media abounds with stories of a strange human/Transformer romance forming between the Cobra terrorist Interrogator and new Transformer Veritas Prime.
A video clip plays of Barbara Walker of On-The-Spot News. She's standing in front of a damaged warehouse, which is guarded by members of Ascension Wing. Smiling into the camera, she reports, "The most recent Battle for Los Angeles is over, but that hasn't kept Cobra from chipping in to help repair the damage done by the combating Cybertronians. The weirdest thing is, witnesses have reported a certain amount of affection expressed between Interrogator, leader of Ascension Wing, and the robot called Veritas Prime."
The video clip ends, and Minkler continues, "While some dismiss the possibility of human/Transformer romance, rumors have persisted of such things before. In the 1980s, torrid accounts of a fling between the Autobot Powerglide and Astoria Ritz-Carlton, CEO of Ritz-Carlton industries, created such a stir that even President Reagan himself was asked about it.
Another video clip is played, this time of Ronald Reagan, then President of The United States of America. Standing at a podium, he claims, "It's not good for aliens to get so close to American business. I'm sure there is a law against dating a kitchen appliance." < Soft Laughter > "I'm sure, though, that Ms. Ritz-Carlton knows what she's doing. You don't get that far in business without some common sense. God bless you all."
The video clip ends, and Minkler continues, "If there is some unnatural alliance between the Autobots and a known Cobra terrorist, this gives even more reason to ask the Autobots to remove themselves not only from our heavily-populated cities, but from American soil as well. We never asked the Autobots to bring their war here to Earth, and their choice to set up in the USA has caused us to absorb a lot more damage than the rest of the world."
Hector Ramirez, Fox News Contributor, chimes in, "Yeah. So, the Finnegan White House has tried to sell his alliance with the Autobots, for example, as an accomplishment to the media and to the American people, but the polling actually shows that American people and likely voters don't actually think that the Autobot alliance that President Finnegan trumpets has been positive for our security or for their lives.
"So, what they see as something that's been good and something they can run on and they made the argument that the Republicans didn't help the alliance at all, well, voters are saying, yeah, and we're glad that they didn't and that's why I might hire them for the job in the next election. They're struggling with that. Silence from Ambassador Witwicky isn't helping."
THE FIVE continue to discuss perceived anti-Autobot sentiment among their viewers, and how it might hurt democrats in the next Presidential election, until finally they cut to another commercial for cute Roboids.
Feb 17 - Reports: Rolling Blackouts[]
USA
Massive Winter Storm Brings Rolling Blackouts, Power Outages
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - Tens of millions of Americans endured bone-chilling temperatures, blizzard conditions, power outages and canceled Valentine dates Tuesday from a winter storm that forecasters said was nearly unprecedented in its scope, exposing about 60% of the U.S. population to some sort of winter weather advisory or warning.
More than 200 million people were under an advisory or warning on Tuesday, the National Weather Service said. The weather service's map "depicts one of the greatest extents of winter weather warnings and advisories ever," forecasters said.
Power outages have left about 1.4 million homes and businesses in the dark, according to the website PowerOutage, which tracks utility reports. The Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation's largest public utility, ended its rolling blackouts Tuesday afternoon but continued to urge homes and businesses to conserve power. In Massachusetts, hundreds of people in Boston and northern parts of the state were without power and facing the possibility of sub-zero wind chills without heat.
I've moved my operations to the new California facility, and the decoy satellite is almost finished. It's built and shielded, complete with internal protection and a far greater air supply than we should need for the mission, just in case. I even installed some emergency thrusters and a parachute in case our Joes get stranded, and either must maneuver in space or make it back to Earth on their own. A little more safety testing and it should be good to go.
17 February - "Watch Conversations Repair" - Veritas undoes the changes she had made to Bludd's watch and the two have a quiet discussion covering multiple topics.
Please exercise caution when travelling alone in East Altihex, especially after dark. There have been several disappearances reported from individuals leaving the racetrack, combat ring, and Planck's Pleasure Palace, never to be seen again. While most targets have been tourists, several residents have been reported missing as well. Please contact Altihex Security should you witness anything suspicious. Thank you.
<< the following transmission is sent to all parties showing interest in helping with Tyger Pax >>
<< a panoramic view of Tyger Pax comes onscreen, with Incognito's voice narrating >>
"This is, perhaps, a belated addendum to my recent broadcast concerning the coming storm bearing down on Tyger Pax. My apologies for that: right now, I'm pulling double-duty between helping Blizzard keep track of the storm's approach on Tyger Pax, as well as helping do what I can to reinforce the spires and capacitor to make things easier on the city.. I already have construction crews working around the proverbial clock to prepare things to the best of their ability, which unfortunately also necessitated the temporary cessation of work being done on behalf of the TitanCalyhex. Thankfully, she understands the necessity.
"The civilian population of Tyger Pax, such as it is, has been evacuating since Blizzard gave us the initial warning. I thank all those city-states who have welcomed them in, and I hope it will be only a temporary inconvenience for all involved. That said, to the business at hand."
<< on the viewscreen, the four tallest spires in Tyger Pax are highlighted >>
"Tyger Pax has these four towers that were anomalous, at least in height, compared to the original layout of the city-state before Galvatron reformatted the city most of a vorn previously; the result of some modifications Nemesis apparently made almost four years previously. These four spires have been studied to a degree, but until this point there had been little use for them aside from potential office space for a little initiative I've been working on with the Council of Tyger Pax: Dynamica Cybertronia. But that is about to change.
"Beneath Tyger Pax is a mainline power conduit that runs throughout Cybertron. My plan is to channel the electrical energy from the coming storm and reroute it into the power conduit, using the spires as effective lightning rods to attract the electricity and shunt it downwards into the power conduit. Ideally, this would result in not only de-powering the storm itself and saving further city-states from the effects of this storm, but also help channel the energy back into our planet, ideally furthering the revitalization that began after Cybertron was placed into orbit about Citctus Minor.
"For all those who have volunteered to help, all of Tyger Pax thanks you. If there are any questions, I'll try to answer them when I can."
Lin-Z appears on M2 News. She has reverted to her old look, with curly blonde hair and an 80s-style red headband. She smiles at the camera while the crawler at the bottom of the screen lists live tweets relating to the news of the day. The scroll reads, "@formerJemfan: Jem brought this on is. Why aren't the Holograms being held accountable?" Lin-Z herself seems more upbeat, even as she delivers sad news for Jem and the Holograms.
"Well, it seems like the new Jem and the Holograms comeback craze has finally peaked and receded. After a record-breaking 35 weeks at the top of the charts, Holograms album sales cratered at the beginning of the year and have yet to recover. Hologram Manager Jerrica Benton has suspended their West Coast Tour for now, although their opening band, Cold Slither, will be taking over some of the abandoned dates and venues in their stead."
CRAWL: "@Jem4EVA: LEAVE JEM ALONE! ITS NOT HER FAILT I MISS HER MUSIC ALREADY."
Lin-Z continues to smile even as she reports, "Jem herself has once again disappeared from the spotlight since a reported attack on her home, Starlight Mansion." As she continues to speak, a paparazzi video is played. In the recording, a black SUV with a red Cobra insignia pulls up in front of Starlight Mansion. A man dressed as Interrogator but without his helmet approaches the mansion gates. The gates open, and Interrogator goes inside. In the meantime, the driver of the SUV opens the passenger door and pulls out a rocket ammo box.
Over the video, Lin-Z continues, "Since the Cobra attack, security has been beefed up at Starlight Mansion, as others, blaming the Holograms for what's been called the 'Silica Effect' in recent weeks, have launched smaller attacks on the building, throwing trash at the gates and spray-painting the walls outside the grounds. Meanwhile, a Cobra-affiliated group calling itself Ascension Wing has sprung up to help those recovering from the sudden strange withdrawal-like symptoms felt by those most into the Holograms' most recent music release.
"I warn you," Lin-Z continues. "While what you are about to see isn't graphic, some of the sounds may be disturbing to sensitive viewers." On screen, Interrogator enters the house and there is the sound of a gunshot and children's screams. Outside, the van driver fires something at the house, and a low, rumbling sound blocks off all over sound in the video. There is a flash from the doorway, and some sort of gas pours from the house. The driver lowers his weapon and runs into the house.
When the image returns to Lin-Z, there is a slight quaver in her voice, and her bright smile certainly doesn't reach her haunted eyes. The crawl below here reads: "@AWOfficial: Feeling down without Jem's music? @AWOfficial can help! Call 1-555-668-2272."
"Will the Holograms make another comeback? Or will it be another 14 years before we see Jem in public again? Tune into M2 News for any further developments!" The program cuts to a commercial for cute Roboidsrobot animal toys.
80's Anarchic Band Cold Slither held their forty-year reunion tour at the Masquerade Music Hall in uptown LA. The band, regarded by the federal authorities as a front group for the Cobra Organization, and international terrorist group that a few years ago took over part of the United States played several songs from their era.
The event was simulcast across the country, with several large networks carrying the event live. Advertising for the event was carried by Extensive Enterprise Incorporated, which also catered, promoted, and bought network time.
Coming at the end of Jem and the Holograms' epic 35 week topping of the charts, Cold Slither's tour came too late for the Grammies, and one music critic threatened violence for presuming it may have been a possible contender. Police searches continue for said reviewer.
The large Jem craze seems to have faded, going into a plateau that has continued to drop in the last day since the event. For the first time in six months, the Top 40 has other songs on it. What this means for the advertising business is as of yet unknown.
Large numbers of complaints have gone in to companies that pushed the 'Kimber and the Holograms' downloads for vanishing from music libraries, along with purchased songs, as well as their vanishing from Youtube.
After said event, members of Cold Slither, made up of members of the infamous Dreadknok Biker gangs cattered around Los Angeles and wreaked havoc, causing several million dollars in property damage. Several members of the gang were arrested in the melee and being turned over to the federal authorities for processing.
Several videos of varying quality have surfaced of CobraAscension Wing members wheeling equipment and such covered in tarps out of the Masquerade and into waiting helicopters since a few hours after the investigation into the club was announced until early Thursday morning. Most of the videos show they did so mostly when the club was closed for business at night and before the morning work rush.
<irc.dal.net> <Interrogator> Dokladchik proyekta «Vyzhivshiy» soobshchayet ob oshibke upravlyayushchego upravleniya 86: zapros na pereprogrammirovaniye koordinat mestopolozheniya
<irc.dal.net> <Voidwalker> uhhh that ccan't be good..
<irc.dal.net> <<Whirlwind>> Ummmmm yeah...
after a minute passes
<irc.dal.net> <Interrogator> *disconnects*
Feb 27 - Mercenaries save Hologram[]
PARIS, FRANCE -- Members of the private military company 'Cerberus' reportedly drove off a gang of individuals who were harrassing Shana Elsmford, guitarist for the band Jem and the Holograms, as she exited L'Habilleur in the Rue de Poitou on Saturday. Plainclothes soldiers emerged from side streets when a group of men and women began to surround Ms Elmsford, some stepping between the would-be attackers and the musician while others quickly escorted her away from the scene. There was a brief scuffle but no injuries have been reported. Ms Elmsford told Radio France International she had been approached by Cerberus in recent months to serve as personal security.
Feb 28 - Cobra providing for Tyger Pax[]
Cobra and Ascension Wing have provided a supply of steel construction beams, graphite, and wiring to aid in the efforts to protect Tyger Pax on Cybertron. Also included are a number of appropriately sized battery-operated radios and an ample supply of batteries to power them.
Last week tourists were lined up to try and catch sight of a Cybertronian that had parked itself just outside the protected periphery of Ayers Rock itself. A discussion with the caretakers of the lands brought to light that this one had requested and received permission to 'meditate' in the area as long as there was no contact with the monolith itself. The alien, calling it.. herself Veritas requested access to the area, explaining that she had heard tales of the site's historical meaning to the local population and wished to meditate on it herself. She indicated that she, too, was interested in dreams and -Dreamtime-.
The park attendants reported that after a few days of the visitor not-moving, even under the desert sun at high noon, interest from tourists waned and the visitation patterns returned to more or less normal.
Until 3 pm local time on March 5th, where a second alien visitor arrived with an enterouge. After what seemed like a talk between the two, they engaged in a battle where additional aliens joined in. Eyewitnesses report that they herded the visitor to one of them and, horrifically, turned into a creature that then ripped into her. "Looked like th' one was tryin' to eat th' other. Big beastie, two heads, metal and glowin' stuff flyin' all over. Knocked her to th' ground and then they took off."
What was left of the polite guest was collected and taken with the group.
Hazmat containment units arrived to the area where pieces of the guest to Ayers Rock were left along with contaminants from liquids spilled during the fight. The area where the aliens fought has been roped off and is being analyzed for any further information.
To the encrypted neutral board started by Goth, some information is sent anonymously. However, it wouldn't be hard to deduce the identity of the source.
Well, this is better late than never. I realize maybe all this is already known. But I'm sharing it in case it isn't, or if it can confirm another source. Here is some information regarding Liege Maximo and the Cybertronian Empire otherwise known as the Hub. Those with access to this board, free to forward the information to relevant parties.
The Hub is a distant collection of planet systems that have been conquered by Liege Maximo. Natives are erased, and their worlds cyberformed. They have Scorpion warships and Warlord battle stations. They claim to have Titans in their army but no idea if that's true. They often overwhelm their enemies with sheer numbers, attacking in coordinated swarms. What has been witnessed on Earth or Cybertron is such a small fraction of their full force. Liege Maximo often sends his Centurions to do his bidding. Not much is known about the Liege himself. Some say he's pure evil. Others darkness incarnate. I just know the Hub is terrifying and I don't want to be in their path.
I do not know where the actual seat of power is. And some of this information is outdated. Very outdated. But I will include a list of coordinates of some of the planets that had been devastated by the Hub's expansion many vorns ago.
That is all I got.
March 9 - "No Rebuild Can Replace" - Persistence is key when rebuilding in a war. Also when trying to cheer up Huffer.
Throughout the night in Australia, several cities and towns reported cell phone and internet service disturbances. Connection outages were problematic. Others reported that their devices kept rerouting to Rick Astley's 'Never Gonna Give You Up' music video. Others reported seeing a mechanized weasel-like drone 'sleeping' in the air. One eyewitness, Emma Royds, stated, "The internet was out, and we couldn't even get photos of this drone on our camera phones because they kept going to that <censored> song! It just was hovering and moving around like it was some sleeping creature. When it went away, our devices returned to normal. It was weird!"
March 15 - "Just Ask" - Ringtone is confused about the nature of his relationship with Starlock.
March 24 - "Kitsune Tsuki" - 48 hours is only 2 days to some. To others it can span several lifetimes worth of woe, rage, and poor choices.
March 25 - "The World Is An Open Chat" - While relaxing in a hot tub, Interrogator continues his work, collecting information, adding to knowledge to rework plan after plan.
On Ascension Wing's Official Website and also given to major news networks on Earth and Cybertron, the following information is posted by Sefu:
Interrogator has ordered the building of a solar farm in People's Republic of Cobra Unity in the desert outside of Crown City. Currently, the plan is the energy generated will be stored in batteries on-site. This is to see if any difficulties arise.
The exact site to be chosen will be far enough away that Humans will not be harmed if the Farm is raided or destroyed. It will be constructed by Over Kill and his BATs and Vectors, but they have been given orders not to defend it with violence. Instead, they are to retreat to a safe distance and observe.
Mar 22 - Local musicians perk up patrons[]
Story appearing in The Rag, a local Santa Monica grassroots arts newspaper, published March 22nd:
Local musicians perk up patrons at local coffeehouses
Over the last two weeks, patrons at certain cafes and coffeehouses have taken note of a pair of musicians new to the scene. Known only as 'Kim and Company', the red-haired woman with the Casio keyboard and the man with the blue tobacco sunburst guitar have hopped into open mics to perform short, two-song sets.
"They were really good," one patron said. "They were really into it and you could see they were enjoying it, and it telegraphed, you know? I felt happier just watching and listening to them play."
There were similar comments at The Tribe. "I just had an argument with my girlfriend and I was pretty down," another patron said, "and even though they played relationshippy songs, I actually felt better after they finished their set. I hope they come back to The Tribe. I'd love to hear them again."
'Kim and Company' performed covers of two Go-Gos songs: 'Yes or No' and 'Turn To You'.
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March 27 - "Wishing to Climb" - Greathawk calls Kamakura to make sure he got back home safe after visiting her at the hospital. A little more flirting happens via Comms.
Mar 27 - AW Updates[]
Info those will receive who are on the AscensionWing channel. It's a pre-recorded message from Interrogator
Duke/ G.I. Joe: Cobra Commander came by last night and he spoke with Veri and me in private. We must proceed in Russia very carefully because who or whatever is impersonating Putin has access to all of Russia's resources. Also, there is a group called Concurrence that the Commander described as 'like IMORTAL reborn' because they are very anti-Transformer. He says Mindbender works with them. Cobra Commander wants to work with me 'for the continued safety of Earth and the people who live on it'. He was telling the truth, as am I.
Major Bludd/ Cobra: Everything under Duke plus - Cobra Commander says he turned Command against each other so they wouldn't target him. I don't know what would make him think he was being targeted. He says he has Mindbender under control and that he wanted me to keep an eye on him, not 'Turn it into a personal vendetta'. So that was my misunderstanding and overreacting about The Coil. He also says the Brainwave Scanner is used on Command not for control, but to make mental backups. There are also genetic backups as well. As for why Storm Shadow is such a mess, Cobra Commander says that's his fault. 'I'm responsible for Storm Shadow's problems, not Mindbender' is the exact quote.
Soundwave: All of the above, plus - Cobra Commander has Typhoid and Scalpel stabilizing Veri's Synthoid body. They can be trusted to do so. I will be helping and staying close if I can. If something on Earth blows up though, I can trust Cobra Commander and Typhoid to take care of Veri while I go off-site to deal with it. I will not go further than 8 hours flight without good reason. We need to talk about where you want Veritas' Cybertronian Body and other things. Especially how being Human isn't all sunshine and rainbows. I damn near tried to transfer my consciousness into a Decepticon shell because of how weak and high maintenance the Human body is. No, Cybernetics are not an option because that's adding an unstable system that might not even work to a weak and high maintenance base. If you need anything, radio or email.
March 28 - Sifting For Gold - Interrogator uses his particular set of skills to glean information from many sources through the dalnet.
March 30 - "Stability Breakpoint - Lex and Veri enjoy a laugh over the dalnet chatter before Interrogator connects something she comments to information he needs and begins questioning her. Trying to help seek answers, Veri pushes past a breaking point and causes a situation.
April 7 - "Well Intended Masculinity" - Dr. Steen goes to San Francisco to check in on Greathawk personally. And finds that someone he knows is also checking her out as well. In a manner of speaking.
April 08 - "Honoring Those Who Served" - The Autobots in general, and the Wreckers specifically, have lost a lot of comrades over the years. Tonight, the Wreckers meet in a public ceremony to honor the dead.
April 29 - "Be Gentle Teacher" - Not his student, but a student none the less. Eddie reaches out to Tommy, asking for training.
April 29 - "The Little Niceties" - Scarlett wakes up at the dojo still after sleeping for nearly 24 hours. And breaks her fast with Storm Shadow, who seems to be on his best behavior.
May 1 - "MayDay Convention" - Tommy, Meggan, and Sean finally get to have a day at a convention in those Power Ranger costumes that 2 of them were somehow talked into. Other joes join in, dressed up in various outfits. What is a light moment ends in tragedy. Or How Meggan's Convention was ruined by Cobra.
May 10 - "What Dream This" - Sean wakes up in an unfamiliar-familiar place and dazedly wanders into a walled castle garden.
May 12 - "Primal Revelations" - After a week of review and re-review, Ravage and Soundwave bring the information they've discovered to Veritas. After the dam breaks, additional visitors arise to check in on the Matrix.
May 13 - "Signs And Trinities" - Interrogator meets with Major Bludd to catch up and discuss problems they both see. Upon returning to The [[Masquerade], he deals with a rotating door of unannounced visitors from G.I. JOE to ancient Autobot sages. It's exhausting.
May 13 - "Am I Broken Now" - Sean has a flashback which causes a lockdown of Joe Medical.
May 18 - "Seaside Soliloquies" - Meetings and more meetings. Ringtone comes to see Veri. And then Spike comes to see her for himself. There is no yelling.
May 19 - "Of Communication And Confidences" - Selena gets visiting hours. Lifeline comes to offer books and quiet talk a s part of his new role as chaplain. Then others come to visit and question.
May 20 - "Not The Coming Out Expected" - Sean wakes in the Pit's brig area after spending the night in a chair watching over Selena in her cell. Meggan talks him into coming out to at least eat something and a the conversation winds, some disturbing ideas are revealed.
May 23 - "Family Is" - The Arashikage family reaches out to Billy, concerning the late Tommy and requests a meeting. Billy and Meggan meets Tomas, the young man sent as the family representative.
May 24 - "Tsunami Of Change" - Meggan and Tomas talk about what family is, discussing the recently passed Young Master. Sean wakes up and the topic of what family is once more plays into the conversation.
May 25 - "Broken But Fixable" - Cranky Ninja are like giant toddlers sometimes. Getting Sean to eat and sleep is a chore best taken on by a group.
May 26 - "Cracks Running Deep" - Meggan talks with Sean more, concerned about the changes to his personality. Then Lex comes by to pay his respects to Storm Shadow and meets Tomas, learning more concerning things about the story the two Arashikage ninja hold as truth.
May 28 - "Not Sean Broca" - Sean is realizing that what he thought was true may not be after he and Tomas meditated while listening to some old chinese operas off of a USB drive. Interrogator involves himself deeper, causing a disturbance.
May 29 - "Family By Choice" - Kamakura struggles to determine what is real and what is not, fighting against himself while Tomas tries to help him stay grounded.
June 2 - "Bowed Beneath Weight Not Broken" - Edwin goes to the Arashikage Dojo to talk to Tomas about something that weighs heavy on his mind. Trying to have dinner nearby, they run into 'Drew' who involves himself in their conversation much to Edwin's chagrin.
June 10 - "Figuring It Out Takes Cooperation" - Dr. Steen pays a long-overdue visit to Sebastian Bludd in Santa Monica, and exchanges intel with him before catching a fight north to San Francisco and having a late-night discussion with Low-Light in a diner.
June 19 - "The Journey Never Ends" - Family Arashikage hosts a final remembrance ceremony for Thomas Arashikage, the original Young Master, on the 49th day after his death. During the quiet remembrances, strange things happen, and even stranger are revealed.
June 27 - "Not Just A Night Courier" - Sel was just minding her own business, heading in to pick up a shift at her side-job. Until she wasn't and ran into Eddie.
July 2 - "Weighted Difficulties" - Not a good dream. Airtight goes to medical in the Pit to be seen for an issue. While his concerns are laid to rest, he is present when Tomas wakes from a nasty dream.
July 3 - "Failure Of Focus" - Snake-Eyes returns to the Pit for several reasons, to clear his name, to report in, to check on the patient-prisoner in medical. Things do not go well.
July 8 - "One Of Those Types" - Interrogator and Inquisitor play nice while departing the Commander;s place in Luck. Going their separate ways, '64 returns to Cobra Island and spends some time talking to a patient, Barghest.
July 16 - "Storms Harness" - Edwin and Tomas talk up at the amusement park before heading back to the Tokyo Arashikage Dojo, where they run into Oba Sen.
July 18 - "Half the World Away" - Kimiko is at the Arashikage Dojo, just checking on things, when she gets an International Phone Call from her cousin.
July 26 - "Listen To The Experts" - After Taken By Storm, the family and guests settle into the castle's infirmary for medical care. Apparently if you ask, you can get a lolly.
July 27 - "Why A Shovel Cousin" - Tomas exhumes the grave at the family castle to determine if it is indeed the missing security director, Akiko.
July 29 - "Offering Teacher A Contract" - Barghest runs across Tomas in Tokyo and remembering the young man from a tea place where he had spoken to Lex. He chooses to strike up a conversation covering pens, teaching, and time available.
July 29 - "Head Over Heels" - Sean is in the mess making lunch Bento Boxes. He shares them with Selena and asks her an important question.
August[]
Megatron
August 9 - "Token Tea Talk" - Cooper arrives at Edwin's condo to help with packing it up. There is Tea at Edwin's house.
August 10 - "Confession And Cookies" - While helping Edwin pack his condo up, Cooper and Tomas learn some of the darker history lurking in the doctor's life. When in doubt? Therapy Cookies.
August 11 - "Even The Arrogant Have Hope" - Tomas reaches out to Conrad to say.. many things. Like very estranged friends tip-toeing around topics but settling back into an easy back and forth. He takes the time to reach out to Sean passing on information from his Aunt concerning Sean's engagement as well.
September 4 - "Fancy Bit Of Tech Poppet" - Selena has been in Japan for a week or just over on a personal quest. Taking a break from learning history, language, and more, she runs into trouble in the form of a Cobra agent, Barghest.
September 17 - "A Gala-nt Affair" - A hand inked invitation was sent to General Hawk and 'guests' to join one Mr. Arashikage at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco on Sunday September 17 for a Black-Tie affair as the Museum opens a new series of Exhibits to invite-only guests. 'Art and Culture of the Samurai: 800 years of Evolution'. Meanwhile in Cobra, the Twins may be up to something in San Francisco and have put out an ask for covert operatives with -manners- to go to this event and report back on what is on display as they were -not- able to get a preliminary view.
September 23 - "Freakin Ninjas" - After spending a quiet Friday evening at the Hill House, both Edwin and Tomas end up at the Pit. For different reasons. Ceiling cat arrives.
September 29 - "A Needed Shakeup" - Edwin gets visitors while he's recovering from the accident in the training room. General Hawk gets part of a report from Storm Shadow after the SECPEN test.
A news reporter and film crew arrived at The Masquerade as patrons were being evacuated last night around 11 pm local time. On the morning news...
This is Chelsey Santiago reporting. Last night, around 11:13 PM, police and EMTs were called to The Masquerade where they had gotten reports of an assault and evacuation. Patrons reported that a very tall man dressed in snake-themed clothing was asked to leave by the security director. After which things turned violent.
Camera switches to a recorded interview of a club-goer, dressed in casual attire, a DJ T-shirt and black skinny jeans over dark red Puma sneakers. "Yeah, things were goin pretty cool, like... An' one of those alien robots even showed up, managed to get, like, into the main club. Been sayin' they were going t open the other half soon but... Some... guy in green, snake... like, ya know a cobra an stuff, attacked a woman an' th Transformer with metal snakes! There was blood... everywhere... Security was trying to, like, get us all out fast, but I saw the lady go down, went right through her.
The camera goes back to the live filming of Chelsey, "Other reports noted gunshots fired as another patron tried to stop the man in green and was subsequently thrown almost through a DJ booth. The Club closed its doors early this morning as police continue to investigate. A statement from the floor manager to the press was sent out.
The Masquerade: Dear patrons, geeks, freaks, friends, framily. It is with heavy heart that we let you know that our club will be closed for an indeterminate amount of time. On September 30, 2023, our Security Director was killed. At this time, no other public statements will be made while the police complete an investigation. Thank you. Written in italics at the bottom of the message is the following:
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." next to a photo of Veri's Club ID Badge showing her with an amused smirk on her face.
Security Director: Veri
'If I'm talking to you, you done eff'd up'.
This is Chelsey Santiago. Now back to the weather with...
October 14 - "Hardly Common Conversations" - Tomas only planned on slipping into medical, leaving something and slipping out. Instead, he ends up in a series of conversations with several long term members of the G.I. Joe team.
October 14 - "Of Pond Water And Chocolate" - Another night on the IRC. Nothing is sacred on the dalnet where the nightly topics range from slavery, to chocolate and more.
October 15 - "What Is More Established" - Tomas slips into Joe Medical to leave something on Lifeline's desk and startles Frankel. They have a small conversation about responsibilities and family.
October 30 - "Spirit Halloween Hunt" - In Malang, Indonesia, something is stalking its people at night. Descriptions suggest that the attacker is not quite human, so G.I. Joe has been sent to investigate. Of course, Cobra has heard the rumors, too, and sent people as well.
November[]
Tomas
November 5 - "Anticipated Excitement" - Tomas and Edwin have a road trip planned for their shared vacation. There's still things to do before heading to 99 Hill House to start their adventure.
November 12 - "Tea Lizard" - Etiquette lessons and matters of trust.
November 25 - "Water And Steel" - Tomas and Alex speak at a chance encounter in Los Angeles, at the little cafe' that many have visited.
December[]
Oba Sen
December 2 - "Neko Wo Kaburu" - Saturday nights are for relaxing, some light housekeeping, a visit to the giant soaking tub and a light meal. Until Oba Sen arrives to visit her nephew.
December 10 - "Sinister Snooping" - Inquisitor came to San Francisco in an attempt to lure Kamakura out and test the conditioning that had been performed on him. And got more than she bargained for.
December 10 - "Settling Sean" - After Law and Wisp remove Leksa from the area around the Arashikage Dojo, Edwin and Cooper work to settle Sean out of the Broca mindset that had been triggered.
December 20 - "Mind Your Manners" - On Cobra Island, Greathawk's presence garners the interest of a certain medi-viper. Sel finds out that her sass is not as effective here as in her last lab imprisonment.
December 22 - "Secrets And A Side of Sinister" - Conrad and Tomas finally meet up for wings and beer and to catch up on one anothers lives. An unknown gentleman starts up a conversation with Tomas after Conrad leaves, leading to a layered verbal jousting but no clear winner.
