Operation: Danger! - 160 Hours till Sunrise

Log Title: Operation: Danger! - 160 Hours till Sunrise

Characters: Starlock, Blizzard, Pyra Magna, Gnashteeth, Veritas Prime, Dust Devil, Backblast, Jetfire, Typhoon, Sludge, Stormwind, Ultra Magnus, Slugfest, Hot Rod, Pulver

Location: Simfur - Cybertron’s South Pole

Date: June 21st, 2022

TP: Non-TP

Summary: Blizzard has discovered an atmospheric event that will undoubtedly destroy the colony of Simfur and all the beastformers within it. A call for aid goes out to the Autobots, to help the desperate situation.

As logged by Starlock - Tuesday, June 21st, 2022, 11:42:35 PM

Radios

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Blizzard says, "Autobots. I am going to need as much assistance as I can get at the colony of Simfur."

<<Autobot>> Jetfire says, "On my way -"

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Blizzard says, "Medical supplies, fuel, building materials. Its about to experience a bad storm."

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Blizzard says, "Let me be clear, a /bad/ storm. Worse than you are thinking right now, I imagine."

<<Autobot>> Sludge says, "Me...Sludge come help."

<<Autobot>> Pyra Magna says, "All Torchbearers, assemble and deploy."

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "...yeah I'm looking at the weather radar at the SJFM station... let me put out an advisory."

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "On my way already as well"

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "flying in medical supplies"

<<Autobot>> Sideswipe says, "Slag. The other side of the planet got a nasty ash storm. Wonder if they're related.."

<<Autobot>> Jetfire says, "Oh kay - Thanks for the note of caution, Blizzard. My systems aren't exactly the best in extreme weather environments, but it shouldn't interfere with being able to provide support."

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Blizzard says, "Jetfire, it will probably get too bad to fly if you stay too long. Be prudent, if you can."

<<Autobot>> Hot Rod goes, "Moonbases, these have any sort of energy readings comparable to all thsoe real weird and freaky anmonalous storms from last year?

<<Autobot>> Dust Devil says, "Wow....are they serious about the temps and winds? That's almost Great storm level of wind....but that temp is gonna be hell on the joints and hydraulics. Someone from med might want ta grab some of that stuff that helps with viscosity and all...."

<<Autobot>> Jetfire says, "I appreciate the cautionary advice, Blizzard. I'm always able to fly into the stratosphere for a bit before coming back."

<<Autobot>> Dust Devil says, "showoff"

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "Already on my list, as ya'll not made to handle extream temps like that"

<<Autobot>> Jetfire says, "Well...if we have a good, solid, carefully-constructed plan, we may not need to stay long."

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "I don't think the weather will care about plans, mate, but its good to have a baseline"

<<Autobot>> Dust Devil says, "hehehehe Jetfire...these guys are a tadbit...territorial? I get chased when I get too close. Hopefully someone got us an invite?"

<<Autobot>> Pyra Magna says, "It would behoove us to get their permission to respond to their distress call and bring in emergency supplies."

<<Autobot>> Sludge says, "What am... ter-i-tor-i-al mean again?"

<<FM-Radio>> 55.5 Suicide Jockey FM ARSEHOLE DJ Dr. Backblast interrupts any program currently playing the American Emergency Action System tones. "Weather alert. Weather alert... we have a serious snowstorm moving in to the Simfur colony at the south pole, expected to hit within the next five to seven hours. This is a level four storm warning, winds are well in excess of one hundred and thirty kilometres per hour and temperatures of -70 celcius are expected. That's cold enough even to freeze us, and there's a very high the probability of white-out conditions. If you are able to evacuate the area..." He pauses. "Seriously, get the <elephant trumpet> out of there, now. This storm is not <chicken cluck>ing around. Evacuate now if you are able. If not, bunker down and dig in. I have included a databurst with emergency shelters that can be dug in the snow with various supplies... but... I'm going to be blunt. I do not rate your chances very high if you need to use any of it. This is going to be dangerous even in the colony itself.

Simfur - Cybertron’s South Pole

	Located in the frozen wastes of Cybertron’s South Pole, Simfur is home to only the heartiest of rugged, animalistic Transformers. Tough and hostile to outsiders, little is known about Simfur outside of the independent polity itself. Tall ice walls surround the city-state, and the only heat is from sources tapped deep within the core of the planet itself. Suspicious guards patrol the perimeter, like as not to kill first and ask questions later. Simfur has new leadership after the sudden, suspicious death of their old leader. Visit at your own risk.

The colony of Simfur is as remote as it gets on Cybertron's surface. An icy home to beastformers with ice walls and a series of heating furnace towers that draw power from below the grid. Blizzard works on welding down more layers of insulating material to one of the longhouses as she protests to Gnashteeth. "...Well, it's your only option then. If you won't evacuate, you're going to need as much assistance as you can get. You do NOT want to freeze to death, trust me." Sparks fly as she welds further, "The atmosphere's starting a dramatic shift already, it's going to get worse. Worse than you can imagine. Let my allies in. Let us at least try to help..."

<<FM-Radio>> 55.5 Suicide Jockey FM ARSEHOLE DJ Dr. Backblast says, "If you are in the area... well... you're probably <horse neigh>ed. So good luck."

<<Autobot>> Blackwing says, "It means they will defend where they are with their lives."

<<Autobot>> Dust Devil says, "Sludge....it's that feelin ya'll get when anyone goes into dinobot cave when ya'll ain't home."

<<FM-Radio>> 55.5 Suicide Jockey FM ARSEHOLE DJ Dr. Backblast says, "Now I'm going to do something very dumb. If you have the option, don't develop a conscience. More <cow moo>ing trouble than it's <donkey bray>ing worth. Backblast, signing off."

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast faint muttering about consciences being a pain in the tailpipe. "I'm on the way."

There's a loud rumbling as the small run-about ship comes zooming into view and coming down to the snow carefully. Quickly getting the supply crates she's brought off loaded, then transforming into the familiar mini-bot of Starlock, she'd vent out and look around at the area.

"Is a designated medical area been set up already?" Starlock asks.

Pyra Magna is coming along at moderate speed, overloaded over with a trailer of emergency supplies and anything that can be taken on short notice. The trailer is straining her systems, making her go extremely slow while hauling it. Magnetic containers have been latched over onto it, making it extremely oversized. If she hit so much as a bump in the road on the way there, she would have flipped. Fortunately, she made it the entire way.

<<NO matter what, we can't leave them to die and abandon them>> Are the words of the Torchbearer. Coming in she would slowly transform, the trailer de-latching as she would go to pull it towards the gathering area, straining with it.

<<Autobot>> Jetfire says, "To any Autobots who are en route, be sure to activate your homing beacons. The elements may make it easy for us to get split up, and with these conditions, every microsecond is critical."

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "Do I have to?" More grumbling. "Fine.""

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Blizzard says, "Cybertron's been coming online from a great, long sleep. just that alone is enough to change the weather drastically."

Pyra Magna's load gets lighter... and then much lighter. The trailer groaning once a hulking figure stepped free of it and then added their own considerable 'oomph' to the effort!

"Me... Sludge, help!" explained the most eloquent of the Dinobots as he left his heavy footfalls in the deepening snow.

With the classic transformation cog noise, Backblast folds into a Panhard ERC-90 Sagaie scout car.

<<Autobot>> Dust Devil says, "Someone detail oriented might wanna also keep track how often everyone is chattin. The beacon is great....but ya can still get permanent damage before people realize yer in trouble."

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Blizzard says, "Difficult to say if its entirely related, but the great Altihex storm hasn't started up yet."

<<FM-Radio>> Veritas Prime says, "If additional transportation space is needed, please let me know. I am space capable and have a dearth of cargo space."

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "My field moniter is on. -sighs-"

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "Due in the next month or two though."

<<FM-Radio>> 55.5 Suicide Jockey FM ARSEHOLE DJ Dr. Backblast says, "Understood, will pass the message on. Thank you."

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "Veritas is offering transport support if anyone needs it."

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "I don't see why not"

<<Autobot>> Pyra Magna says, "Request multiple satellites on continuously station at all times Iacon"

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "long as no ones trippin over themselves when she shows up"

As the storm moves in, Gnashteeth moves quickly around the city, getting everyone into their huts and battening down what resources he can. This isn't his first blizzard since taking control of Simfur, but it looks to be the worst. The 2-meter-tall Mini-Con never stops moving, barking orders, and using his prodigious personal strength to help with tasks as needed.

Gnashteeth looks up at Blizzard and growls, grinding his large silver dentae together. "Fine. But we can't seal the gate until all my hunting parties have returned. I'm not locking out any of my people!" He turns to glare as Starlock arrives, but finally sighs and points. "There. That Longhouse will function as a medical station for those damaged by the cold."

Gnashteeth's ice-blue optics narrow as even more Autobots arrive, but due to the circumstances, he allows them passage to assist... for now.

Blizzard looks over at Gnashteeth, then to Starlock, and other Autobots as they arrive. She says simply, with no hint of satisfaction. "They are already here." There IS a bit of pride to her, but it quickly vanishes. Blizzard raises a large hand to point to one of the longhouses, "Valvolux has set up an infirmary, you'll be pleased to see it has the basics at least."

CURRENT SITUATION:

FURNACES 70

WALLS 80

POPULACE 80

SICK 0

Backblast cruises along with the others, towing one of the fuel bowsers he commissioned from the Dominicons. He's grateful for the complex articulated mount they put on, enabling it to handle the rough terrain that he can. He's got all six wheels on, ploughing through the snow near Pyra.

Once he's dropped it off near the nearest medical station he transforms, his alloygator skin rolling out down his back as he stands. Gnashteeth might notice something familiar in his eyes, closer to his own people - he may not be a Beastformer, but he's certainly a little feral, these days. It's better than being a complete sociopath. Probably. He nods at the Beastformer leader's words. "Nobody would ask you to." He says softly. "We're here to help, nothing more, nothing less."

<<FM-Radio>> 55.5 Suicide Jockey FM ARSEHOLE DJ Dr. Backblast says, "I think the general opinion seems to be 'all help is gratefully received'"

<<FM-Radio>> Veritas Prime says, "Alright, firing up and headed down south."

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "She's on her way."

Pyra Magna would look in surprise over at Sludge, reminded of how strong the Dinobots are. "Thank you." The Torchbearer states. "We need to do everything we can to help stabilize the area and keep the wounded tended to. We have to protect as wide an area as possible." It's going to be rough.

"Gnashteeth, this is your city, but we have to be able to spread out and help where needed on a short timetable. So please don't try and micromanage us over it. Our intents are pure. We are here to help save all lives."

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "Strong little bugger isn't he?"

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Blizzard says, "The shelter can only do so much, we're going to have to rely on the furnaces as well. It's coming from the east. So take that into account. We need every furnace ready, and as much shelter as we can provide."

Dust Devil is in hovercar mode with his little hoverskiff hooked to him. The weight of freight helps keep him from being blown about too badly. That and Dust Devil has a forcefield angled against the wind to help deflect it off himself and those near him. His turbines are whirring on high, and his forward thrusters are firing intermittently to keep him heading forward.

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "I brought energon, most of it potable but there's a supply of medical grade in the bowser too."

Starlock gives the village leader a thumbs up as she starts setting up medical equipment for triage, emergency's, popping open supplies and finding where things are, and multiple anti-freeze transfusions, she doesn't waste time, and like she told Dust Devil, she has her for-arm patient monitor open and keeping tabs on everyone out in the open.

She also pops open her subspace and gets out her spare space blankets, and the medical tent she carries on her for field work, hoping to maybe use it as a curtain to buffer the cold and wind between the door and the work area.

Pyra Magna would be calling out, "Autobots, stabilize as much as you can before the worst of the storm hits." She's going to move some of the heavy materials with her, going to move to start pulling it towards the furnaces. She's bracing on it and going to haul as much of it that's low grade and disposable towards the heaters, ready to give fuels to the fire and take as much as she can. She's on rescue duty. So she strains with it but goes to push herself as best she can.

GAME: Pyra Magna PASSES an ENDURANCE roll of High difficulty.

"Mmm!" Sludge answers Magna's words of gratitude with a meaningful sound. He listened as people chattered and spoke with purpose. East, which way was- Oh right, that way. "Sludge... Help." he uttered once more. Shouldering heaps of supplies, he moved towards the eastern walls to buttress them against the winds and the weight of the snow that would swell against them!

NOW PLAYING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apDHw5OJvqc

GAME: Sludge PASSES a STRENGTH roll of Average difficulty.

Gnashteeth nods, looking mollified. "Widget does good work," he allows. "As long as you keep an optic on her," he adds distrustfully. Gnashteeth turns abruptly to address Backblast when he speaks to him, but after a narrow look in Backblast's optics, he merely nods, and moves on to helping the less hardy deal with the increasingly brutal weather.

When Pyra addresses him, however, Gnashteeth growls. "Don't tell me what to do, Autobot," he practically spits. "Just direct yer Autobots an' keep 'em out of my way!" Stomping off on his little purple and silver legs, he makes his way to the wall and starts physically shoring up cracks caused by the high winds, demonstrating almost ridiculous strength for his size.

GAME: Gnashteeth PASSES a STRENGTH roll of Very High difficulty.

GAME: Backblast FAILS a FIREPOWER roll of Very High difficulty.

Backblast looks around, spotting where everyone is going. He glances at Starlock thoughtfully, then sets down his medical kit for her. "I think I'm going to be most useful roving between crises." He decides. He nods at Blizzard's words and moves over to one of the furnaces, appraising himself of its workings. "Huh." He mutters. "Not that different to the distillery... okay..." He starts adjusting the blower and air/fuel mixture carefully, watching the colour of the flame to find that perfect balance-point between fuel economy and hot enough to do the work.

Dust Devil enters the doorway and hmmms as he passes through to the others. He calls out, "Yer losin a ton of heat at the gate, the wind comin through and all, Ya'll get me unloaded and I can park at the gate and use a forcefield ta keep yer door open but keep things from comin in or piling up, easy enough fer me ta let people through either direction too.... Just a thought."

GAME: Dust Devil PASSES a TECHNICAL roll of High difficulty.

"Alright, got things set here." Starlock calls as she finishes setting up the tent-curtain barrier for medical, and peeks out, giving a scan of the area before things get bad, and climbs the wall to see if she can spot anyone returning, knowing there those still out there, and checking her field monitor for pings of spark signals.

GAME: Starlock PASSES a DEXTERITY roll of Very High difficulty.

Veritas Prime's massive interstallar engines have pushes her up and are guiding the tetra-transports path through the parts of the storm that have arrived. Wing surfaces remain in near constant shifting as even her size is buffeted. She isn't tied into the Autobots comm systems, but does send a broadcast on a localized series of bands << This is Veritas, I'm coming in in flight mode: Tetra-. I can provide shelter space as needed or help with evan and rescue. >>

GAME: Veritas Prime PASSES an AGILITY roll of High difficulty.

Jetfire lands and immediately goes to one of the furnaces - given his specialty is in science. His body immediately tenses up as the threatening cold temperatures and conditions seem to immediately penetrate his inner circuitry. Speed being the need here, he immediately goes to one of the furnaces to see if he can work on upgrading or fixing some of the issues.

GAME: Jetfire FAILS a TECHNICAL roll of High difficulty.

The Simfur forces and Autobots begin to harden the city to the cold. Extra resources are deployed, as Sludge helps smash items in place with his tail to provide more of a windbreak, with Gnashteeth doing an impressive amount of work. While the furnaces are different than Backblast and Jetfire have dealt with, it takes a bit of time to familiarize themselves with the multi-fuel driven furnaces, which in retrospect, is still a good move, better now than later. Starlock can see a group of hunters returning, already caked with snow, and wearing heavy skins to help insulate them. With her aid, they can be brought in. It's a good thing, too, the group has already experienced the storm at hand, frostbite setting in.

Blizzard actually leaves the city through the gate and climbs to a high point to scan the weather pressure, leaving deep holes in the snow. << Alright, the storm's approaching. Get ready. We've helped prep it up. It's going to get cold though. Anyone outside is going to feel the effects. I'll be monitoring from up here, but my double trailer can help insulate the injured if you need me. >>

TURN ONE TEMPERATURE -40 degrees

Furnace - 67

Walls - 90

Citizens 70

Sick - 17

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Blizzard says, "Temperatures approaching -40 Galactic temperature"

Gnashteeth stops for a moment, listening to Dust Devil's plan. "Huh." He says at last. "That just might work." He walks over to inspect the furnace, frowning deeply. "Needs more heat," he determines, paying little attention to Backblast's careful balancing of the blower and air/fuel mixture. Gnashteeth transforms and expands into a 6-meter-tall purple Cyber-Morphic Predator (think Dark Barney). "Let's fire it up, yess?" he chuckles, and then opens his toothy mouth wide, blasting super-heated plasma right into the furnace.

GAME: Gnashteeth PASSES a FIREPOWER roll of Very High difficulty.

Outside at the Furnace, Pyra Magma goes to close her eyes, "Primus, hallowed be thine form. Give us the strength to save your forged and thin this raging storm across your body." A contemplation while moving to rapidly start to take out her flamethrower. For now, the fire truck and rescue vehicle can simply start to pump the fires as high as she can as the weather rages. It will get worse. Much worse as the night goes on.

Flamethrowers out and glowing, she moves to flash it up and over, evaluates where to best press it.. And goes to then unload them over to the furnace, hopefully smoldering the freshly thrown in materials to it to ensure the fires rage to drive away the obliterating heat!

GAME: Pyra Magna PASSES a DEXTERITY roll of High difficulty.

"<<It would be appreciated.>>" Starlock radios back to Veritas and Blizzard as she helps move the hunting party into the set up medical area, and work to get them slowly warmed up, and treated, she isn't wasting time and using her ener-roller-blades to quickly skate around the set up area to move much more quickly, she also flicks her sterilization-systems to stay on, keeping her hands warm, and hot to keep tools from freezing... She'd also give Sludge a pat in thanks.

When a rime of ice began to form on his hands and nimbler extremities, Sludge tried to shake it off with little luck. He transformed, heavy cowling armor closing in around him, his long, nimble neck rising up. The wall.. Looked like a wall. He wasn't sure how else to help... So with simple minded dedication, he continued to strengthen fortifications. Shoving things against the basses of walls. He is not sure what he should be doing but he is doing His Best!

Venting gouts of flame from his nostrils to keep himself warm, Sludge continues, pausing only long enough to consider Starlock, nudging her with his warm nose in thanks and acknowledgement.

GAME: Starlock FAILS a TECHNICAL roll of Immense difficulty.

GAME: Sludge PASSES a STRENGTH roll of High difficulty.

Dust Devil is unloaded and the small hovercar speeds toward the gate and then out. Turbines WHIRL as he tries to sweep the drifting snow away from the pathways. Once he has the gateway clear, he carefully allows himself to be pushed back. Dusty 'parks' against the edge of the gateway so that he isn't having to keep maintaining his position. Now it's just the turbines whirling, and carefully directing them now and then to push some of the snow into a bit of a wall before he erects his forcefield over the doorway. There is a creaking of the gate post as Dust Devil's shield and himself are pushed by the wind. The snow that was directly below Dust Devil is melting from the heat of his turbines.

GAME: Dust Devil FAILS an ENDURANCE roll of High difficulty.

Jetfire shields his visor as the cold begins to already mess with some of his functions - including his optics. Internally, he routes more power to his visor to be able to better see, hopefully enabling him to do a better job with repairs. He frowns, thinking aloud...

"There has to be... a way to get these furnaces to not lose so much heat - " ignoring the icy pain in his fingers, he begins to make a few calibrations to the furnace, hoping they will be able to better stabilize the heater cores.

GAME: Jetfire FAILS a TECHNICAL roll of Very High difficulty.

Backblast looks up at the sky and mutters another complaint about the perils of developing a sodding conscience. He looks at the furnace thoughtfully, adjusting things a little, watching. Okay here it comes, temperatures are falling... good, Gnashteeth had the idea he had... "Ought to be careful with that." He warns. He glances as Pyra keeps another furnace online, running for the infirmary instead. He nods to Starlock, then blinks. "Tea." He says. "That's my prescription. You all need tea."

Backblast sets up his little chemical stove and lights it, bringing energon to the boil and pulling native cyberflora from pouches and compartments scattered about his person, muttering to himself as he names random cyberflora and its purpose, dropping them into the pot and keeping everything stirring. Once it's come to the boil he pours cubes and starts handing it out. "Hold in both hands, drink slowly. Don't want to give yourself thermal shock."

GAME: Backblast PASSES a TECHNICAL roll of Very High difficulty.

GAME: Dust Devil PASSES an ENDURANCE roll of High difficulty.

Backblast has carefully laced the tea with a tiny dose of anaesthetic, enough to take the edge off the pain of circulation returning to frozen fingers and cogs.

Veritas Prime isn't -fond- of the cold, but is an interstellar craft capable of traversing great distances. Still, the wind and ambient moisture from the frozen precipitation does work to leach some residual head from her as she angles to find a place to land, engines blowing hot athmo outwards, sublimating snow as the venting hits it, venting heat from her travel here. She's angling to land herself near any weak or broken wall places to act as a physical block. << Landing, watch out for engine blowback, they run hot. Will open airlocks for any who need shelter.>> The crafts wings fold upwards, then fanfold inwards as she tucks and lands.

GAME: Veritas Prime PASSES an ENDURANCE roll of Above Average difficulty.

The furnaces draw upon the extra plasma fire, relieving some stress. While Gnashteeth can't keep it up forever, every bit alleviates the pressure, and the furnaces are built for punishment. Pyra Magna does similarly, literally wreathing the furnaces in flames, which pulls in the fire to radiate it about. Sludge keeps erecting the walls higher and thicker as best he can.

The ice age isn't going to bother this dinobot yet. Members of the city start going to Sludge, directing him to where he can patch where the wind is beating through, to put him to good use. Starlock examines the wounded, and given the options, sees only warmth and rest as the best cure. A complete flush of energon would do more, but energon is going to be in short supply soon, if its as bad as Blizzard says.

Dust Devil brings up his shields, but there's a ton of ambient snow in the area that is not helping his turbines. He helps shunt some of the overbearing wind, but not as effectively as he'd like until he summons up extra strength to fight off the ever present wind. Backblast's got a hearty amount of survival tricks under his belt, and this enertea helps soothe the fuel pump. As the day passes, those injured hunting party members start to recover a bit further, almost enough to assist. Veritas swoops down across the city, helping to disperse the heat, even but for a moment it helps relieve the pressure...

Blizzard remains at her position, that large trailer visible from its high peak, satellite dish still spinning. <<Things sound good down there. Good. The temperature's holding steady...>>

THE DAY PASSES

Another hunting party returns to the group, minus one member. Already there's talk of a search party going out to find the missing Snowtread who must've fallen behind.....

<<Autobot>> Dust Devil says, "If anyone gets bored, I could use some medgrade dumped in me direct. Not liking the feel of this already. Ask his lordship how many hunting parties are out there. And someone park a some bright lights by the gate so they can see the gate is open fer them."

Beginning of TURN TWO TEMPERATURE -40 degrees

Furnace - 72

Walls - 100

Citizens 68

Sick - 29"

There are so many injured and sick. This means that Pyra Magma is having to help where she can. Now, she's going in to aid with the sick and injured. Using her life support functions to try and aid them while going to call out to the medics and those citizens volunteering. Acting while letting her cyber-functions slow down the suffering as much as possible. "We have to keep moving. Share energon. Put up panels on one another. We have to ration things out for as long as possible. Work together. We are all Primus' children. REmember."

GAME: Pyra Magna PASSES a LEADERSHIP roll of Extreme difficulty.

<<Autobot>> Jetfire says, "I...can...most likely get out there and get them ... the quickest..."

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "if you could, maybe backblast can help, he has tracking abilities, since i need to stay here."

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Blizzard says, "Another dip on the atmospheric pressure is coming. Radio transmissions will start experiencing interference, and flight is going to be more challenging."

<<Autobot>> Pyra Magna says, "I feel that Backblast's abilities as a tracker would be better. We require your help with the injured."

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "Thats what i said."

NOW PLAYING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TItsVzFQ0M&t=1s

Starlock frowns, she looks down at her patient monitor, but looking at all those there in the medical-ward already, she feels it's more important for her to stay there, she looks down at her hand, closes it into a fist and sighs sadly, getting back to work, starting to sing to help calm nerves.

"Good thinking with the tea." She says to Backblast in passing as she works on those there, and huffing at the radio, she's annoyed, yet grateful, she smiles and continues her work.

GAME: Starlock PASSES a TECHNICAL roll of Very High difficulty.

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "By the way, can someone patch Veritas in here?"

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "Not clean, not pretty, but yeah..."

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "please an thank ya BB"

"Sludge Help." uttered the mechanized suaropod as he trudged through the battering snow and wind. "Sludge Help." it became a mantra, uttered over and over to keep his mind to the task. When the Simfurites directed him, he bobbed his lofty head, dipping up and down. "Hrm!" he grunted his understanding and plodded on. Where cracks formed and dared.. to be, Sludge sought to un make them! Transforming, he tested his hands against the dropping temperatures, fixing plates and debris in place to shore up the defenses against the weather.

GAME: Sludge PASSES a STRENGTH roll of High difficulty.

Backblast sends a radio transmission.

<<Autobot>> Jetfire says, "The conditions are worsening - I'm not going to be able to fly too much longer, but I can fly now... I have enough scanners to pick up life forms - I'm going out and getting them while I still can."

Jetfire moves out of the furnace work, since he's not having the best luck for that. Also, maybe movement will help with his systems, especially the jet fuel that comes with a quick takeoff. Using that momentum, he blasts off and immediately activates his scanners - hoping to find a sign of life.

GAME: Jetfire PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of Very High difficulty.

Walking near Dust Devil might be a little hazardous as the area directly below him has melted and quickly refrozen. His hood and main body are still warm but there is already long icicles hanging from his spoiler and the corners of his frame. As long as he's kept topped up, he's able to stick to the plan. Here is where his fuel efficiency is helpful. Oh yeah and those icicles also give him a chance to park on something. His turbines continuing to whirl just to generate heat for himself.

GAME: Dust Devil PASSES an ENDURANCE roll of High difficulty.

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "And I'm on my way out."

<<Autobot>> Dust Devil says, "Be careful out there."

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "I'm always careful."

Backblast gives a thumbs-up to Starlock, keeping a near-constant supply of hot tea, as well as helping cover things for Starlock. After filling his flask with hot tea, he refills the pot completely to make sure there's some while he's away. He steps outside the infirmary and looks up at the sky. "You can blow your conscience out your arse." He mutters softly to himself, really /really/ regretting gaining one right about now. "I must be fracking mad." He sighs, giving Dust Devil a friendly pat and dose of medical grade on the way past to go out looking for the lost citizens, pulling his cloak tight about himself.

GAME: Backblast PASSES a COURAGE roll of Very High difficulty.

(Radio) Starlock transmits, "You know if you need help you can call me, or Solstice, heh, she does seem to have an optic on you~" to Backblast.

Gnashteeth frowns with interest as Sludge transforms back and forth into dino mode, having a similar altmode himself (although Gnashteeth's is closer to Grimlock's, but smaller). Gnashteeth looks up at Jetfire takes off, glancing next at the nearest Autobot. "Where the slag he goin'?" Gnashteeth demands roughly. "Cold get to his weak-aft already?" he growls, showing his teeth.

Transforming in disgust, Gnashteeth moves to help Sludge, one of the few Autobots that seems to have a decent altmode and some Primus-damned endurance. "Where are you from, Autobot?" he asks a lot more pleasantly. "Haven't seen you around before." He moves to help Sludge, this time relying more on the skill in his hands than the strength in his arms.

GAME: Gnashteeth FAILS a DEXTERITY roll of Very High difficulty.

Veritas Prime's systems continue to redirect fuel and fissionables through engines, keeping them at a ready-idle as she stays where she landed, attempting to shore up a wall gap with her shiply self and provide a safe harbor should anyone wish to enter.

GAME: Veritas Prime PASSES an ENDURANCE roll of High difficulty.

<<Autobot>> Veritas Prime's voice chimes in with some static as she's patched in, "-fire.. I can help scan and transport. Or provide a warm spot with engine bypasses.

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "There ya are!"

Pyra Magna helps keep the city's hope up as she speaks, organizing the masses into a more cohesive unit as Starlock tends to the frostbitten. Already some of the first group of hunters stand in protest about needing to get back out there. More keep trickling in though, mechs with frozen vocalizers, fuel pumps seizing up....

Gnashteeth and Sludge seal up the walls again, even vaunted durasteel is starting to become brittle at these temperatures, and yet more goes up. Even fifty feet of brittle steel will still hold against the storm. Jetfire's delicate systems protest as he takes to the sky, his energon lines already feeling the cold, but the brave mech ventures out up above into the freezing, freezing cold sweeping for signs of life...and spots the third party of hunters way out.

Half of them are being carried or drug, most of them in dire straits. Dust Devil is recognized for his work, and is brought heated energon from near the furnace by a few of the sick, eager to show their aid. Veritas Prime fans her turbines hard, generating heat but not lift. The wind doesn't let it stay for long, but energon cables are hooked up to her to warm up lines running off into the distance, as well as provide shelter for the citizens who are helping....And as the storm starts to get worse, with Blizzard's warning, Backblast alone goes out into the high winds, in hopes of saving a life.

A large chunk of wall gives way as the durasteel grows so brittle, that it just cracks and slides down, letting in a huge gust of wind throughout the longhouses...

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "Phew, can communicate much more effective with this, and will do, what do you say to holding those that are recovering--- FRAG"

END OF TURN TWO

Furnace - 80

Walls - 121

Citizens 94

Sick - 11"

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Blizzard says, "Temperature is dropping. Hopefully the hard work is paying off."

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Blizzard says, "Negative 70. Don't risk flight if you can help it"

BEGINNING OF TURN THREE -70 DEGREES

Furnace - 60

Walls - 91

Citizens 74

Sick - 31

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "I <chicken cluck>ing KNOW the temperature is <Oink>ing dropping! It is <donkey bray>rd cold out here!"

GAME: Veritas Prime PASSES a TECHNICAL roll of Immense difficulty.

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Blizzard says, "Stand firm, Autobots. The storm will break. We just have to power through it."

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast grumbles

<<Autobot>> Dust Devil softly snickers.

<<Autobot>> Jetfire grunts "OK...that's it...have to head back, or I'm not going to be able to make it back, and I have injured."

<<Autobot>> Veritas Prime says, "Thinkin' might need to shift and plug that gap with my wide aft... I can keep engine heat bypasses blowing into the area to not waste the heat byproduct. I've got enough fuel for several ftl jumps so I can use that. Keep the citiz - -- Let me.. get into that gap - If anyone can, hook conduit to my external vents and cycle that through the system like a hypocaust system, should help the furnaces not have to work against the brutal cold if the air's pre-warmed."

It's getting worse and worse. "Oh the Matrix, that which keeps us strong and ready. For the day until All Are One, however far off. We are all forged by Primus. Autobot, Decepticon.. We are all his chosen. We will make the galaxy better on that day. For now.. For now we hold the faith, remain righteous, and defend against the darkness no matter what form it comes in. We will not be returning any to the allspark this day. You will all be here with us to face the fresh dawn when it rises over the horizon."

She can only work so fast, but she can give them hope. Fear and exhaustion are as great enemies as the weather. They must have faith in one another.

So she gives her speech, trying to freshen sparks and harden them for the trials and tribulations that will come.

GAME: Pyra Magna FAILS a COURAGE roll of Extreme difficulty.

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "I've got... movement. Bout eighty metres awa-"

NOW PLAYING: https://endlessvideo.com/watch?v=_oRv1FW2Xho&start=

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast fades into static

There's a rumble in the distance.

GAME: Pyra Magna PASSES a COURAGE roll of Extreme difficulty.

<<Autobot>> Dust Devil says, "backblast?!"

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "BB?!"

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast does not reply.

Stormwind me scurries to the broken wall to see if she can shore up some of it to make certain more doesn't collapse if possible, and maybe build back a bit of it if she can. "Not good..."

As the storm starts to get worse, the thump-thump of the furnaces provides solace to those within the walls.

Veritas Prime shifts.. slowly.. from her position at the wall as a section breaks, giving into the brittleness that the absolute heckin' cold delivers to the city. The craft slowly lifts, pivoting, angling to use herself as the proverbial plug in the dike. << Moving. Mind the engines. >>

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast 's beacon fades away too.

Jetfire files back, his cargo bay door opens and Jetfire calls out as the injured are moved out "Easy...easy...we've got you...OK, head to shelter."

He then transforms back into his robot mode, the transformation noise that he makes is kind of funky and it takes about three times the time it usually takes for him to transform, thanks to the cold doing some major work on his systems. He then goes back to repairing the furnaces, or at least calibrating them to hopefully retain more of their heat.

GAME: Jetfire PASSES a TECHNICAL roll of Very High difficulty.

"Hrm...?" Sludge wondered aloud, turning a narrow-optic'd scowl towards Gnashteeth. There was no distaste or ire in it, Sludge simply had a face like he was sucking a lithium lemon. "Me... Sludge" the Dinobot affirmed to the minicon. "Me am Di-no-bot from Plant Earth." he explained further. And as if to say that his mother and father were very close on his family tree, he confess, "I was built in a cave."

Then the wall started to crumble, tensile strenght suffering under Cybertron's frigid fury. Sludge scowled, the expression deepening on his face as if being etched into stone.

Trudging away with purpose, Sludge picked up whatever sizable materials he could find to act as a windbreak. The towering 'bot wading into the wind to physically block the hole himself as much as he could, fit grinding against the frozen, cybertronian surface as he sought to anchor himself in place and face the fury of the storm with just what a few guys with a bunch of scrap metal could give him.

GAME: Sludge FAILS a STRENGTH roll of Extreme difficulty.

Starlock smiles hearing Veritas on the bot channel and vents out in relief, only for a moment as she starts to try and coordinate with Veritas, only for there to be a /wind/ problem.

Starlock snarls, and peeks out the door, trying to get an idea how far Veritas is. squinting purple and gold optics. "<<Veritas, how far ya from the medical area? if ya close enough I think we should transferring people into ya'.. Those not in critical a condition first.>>" She asks as she squints, before her face twists into that of fear and worry about Backblast, she has to fight the momentary panic to keep slag moving.

She takes a breath and moves back into the longhouse to keep working on the critical as she waits for a response. "It will be okay.. it will be okay, everything /will/ be okay." She tells herself aloud, not paying much attention to others reactions as she fiddles with her Harmonexian necklace, opticing her medical monitor.

Dust Devil is struggling to keep his turbines spinning enough to keep his core temp warm. The forcefield still blocks the way but he's definitely having to battle to keep both going. As Backblast's com breaks, The hovercar rises up a bit, but doesn't move from his spot. He can feel the rumble as well as hear it. << Dammit, Backblast answer the coms. Any of you fly types with sensors able ta check Backblast's last known position or somethin? >>

GAME: Stormwind PASSES a TECHNICAL roll of Above Average difficulty.

GAME: Dust Devil PASSES an ENDURANCE roll of Very High difficulty.

GAME: Starlock PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of Immense difficulty.

Gnashteeth frowns as his help doesn't really contribute to Sludge's efforts - Gnash is just too short in Mini-Con mode. He nods at Sludge's introduction, making mental note to follow up later. For now, however, he decides to go help round up the lost hunting parties - after all, if he's Simfur's leader, it's he who should be risking his life out in the storm.

Transforming once more, Gnashteeth ambles towards the gate, pausing long enough for Dust Devil to let him through. "Don't worry," he growls. "I'll bring your friend back, too." Then, he bravely ventures out into the winds alone, determined to bring his lost people home.

GAME: Gnashteeth PASSES a COURAGE roll of High difficulty.

Pyra Magna has a lot of experience in providing hope, and the reclusive nature of the citizens here in Simfur aren't used to such thoughts. Several of them gather to hear her preach, curious if not devoted to her words. Jetfire helps where he can to the returning hunters, in transport, but it will all be for naught if the furnaces die out.

He applies his expert skills to freeing up a partially melted heating tower...Sludge hefts up a heavy plate of durasteel, and it just cracks to pieces in his hands. There's little more he can do except use what little is left. One of the buildings just had to be sacrificed to be a buffet against the storm. People are forced to crowd into closer quarters.....

Stormwind helps patch up some of the walling, welding pieces together, using braces. It's a stopgap measure, but its all they have left...Veritas Prime however, helps fuel the furnace system again using her thrusters, burning energon to alleviate pressure, as a miserable day passes on by. For Starlock, more people are brought in to the repair bay, there's just no other room for them as a longhouse was destroyed in the need for more walling.

Still, she's performing her job well, adjusting to the symptoms well enough, freeing up valuable hab slab space as others gratefully start to get back to their feet. Dust Devil's preoccupation with Backblast helps keep his mind off of how tired his system is getting, how low his energon is. Gnashteeth disappears into the darkness, with the populace watching him disappear into the snow as deep as he is tall...

Other people start to protest as the next day starts, 'The walls must be shut, we lose so much heat!' and Backblast is nowhere to be seen, nor Gnashteeth, nor Snowtread....

END OF TURN THREE

Furnace - 77

Walls - 113

Citizens 100

Sick - 5

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Blizzard says, "Temperature...Its dropping again. I'm moving back to Simfur."

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Blizzard says, "There's...there's not much more I can do from up there"

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "Alright.. I need your help moving bots to Veritas's hold."

<<Autobot>> Pyra Magna says, "Keep the walls up and the furnace firing."

As Blizzard returns, towering figure that she is, the citizens regard her as a harbinger of bad news at this point. She looks down at the people silently, then says with trepidation, "Negative one hundred." then continues on to medical.

START OF TURN FOUR NEGATIVE ONE HUNDRED DEGREES!

Furnace - 47

Walls - 73

Citizens 70

Sick - 35

The furnace work starts to sputter as minor vents freeze over. The wind is so fierce yet no oxygen gets through to the intake....

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Blizzard says, "Keep at it. We can beat this. Its going to break!"

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Blizzard says, "And we can't break first!"

Now they need to give hope and as much faith as they can. Pyra has to fight with them and keep them going. "you are strong, you are powerful. You will remain together and provide hope." She can only rally them as much as possible. "You are in charge of your own sparks. This city won't fall."

Now she's going to deploy her small trailer. Well, the one she hauled with her all the way. It has enhanced biobeds.. And she starts pumping the excess energon from it out to the crowd. It's not enough for medical purposes or to help those who are badly off. But hopefully it will give them a bit more of a spark.

"Til the day when all are one. We will not fall. We will keep everyone strong and ourselves intact through this, and weather the weather."

GAME: Pyra Magna PASSES a COURAGE roll of Extreme difficulty.

Ratchet's influence on her is starting to show as she manages to mostly, contain the raising stress levels she's having, though anyone that can read a pressure gauge could likely tell hers is pretty high, even fore a mini-bot, there's also her trembling hands.. oh the joys of being a field medic, is it a wonder they drink?

Once Starlock gets a moment of calm she plays with her crystal necklace in her fingers lightly. "Not today Mortalius, not today.." She murmurs softly.

Starlock works tirelessly, doing what she can to direct other medical staff as well, to get bots stable, and moved to Veritas's hold instead, along with medical supplies, flicking on her deep-space chassis lights to help lead the way, and heated hands to melt a path as well, silent, but fighting to prove they could do this, telling herself if she needs to be peoples rock, well, she's damn well is going to be their rock.

GAME: Starlock PASSES an AGILITY roll of Very High difficulty.

Dust Devil is struggling at this point. He turbines have been spinning almost nonstop for too long when there is a bit of a screech and the hovercar thumps hard onto the ice. Locked up completely, he quickly transforms, or at least attempts to transform. Hands seems to be refusing to unhouse while his ankles sit at odd angles in the ice refuge that his turbines carved into the ice. He sits there silently, looking into the darkness for any sign that they're returning. If he can't hold the gate then they have to shut it. If he can hold it longer, then the rescuers have a chance.

GAME: Dust Devil FAILS a COURAGE roll of Immense difficulty.

Jetfire 's system weaken as he continues to reroute the furnace systems to restore the heating tower to a sustainable level. "Come on...come on ... " he mumbles to himself, barely able to feel his own fingers as he continues to type in commands in the furnace's control area.

GAME: Jetfire PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of Very High difficulty.

GAME: Veritas Prime PASSES an ENDURANCE roll of Very High difficulty.

<<Autobot>> Veritas Prime says, "Locked down and landed. Hook me up to the furnace intakes, I'll cycle the air through engines to pre-warm, I don't need oxygen to run the burns. Starlock, I've got airlock systems, if there are those without shelter, they can come inside me, it's not tropical but it's not freezing in the cargo space."

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "On it, leading people that way, as well as those I've already stablized."

Veritas Prime settles again, deploying landing locks. Wing surfaces fanfold, layering up on themselves, tucking closer to the ships chassis to lessen the surface area for heat loss. Engines cycle through from athmo to sub-orbital, blending fuel sources between O2 and non. She flares and flashes lighting around the deep space venting covers just forward of her engines and on the underside while continuing to vent the exhaust heat outwards, radiating as much as she can.

Stormwind keeps working on the wall, for the moment, putting up panels and trying to weld reinforcements to the curent structure in attempt to keep them from crumpling She looks around to make sure nothing ele needs her attention as she works.

GAME: Stormwind PASSES a TECHNICAL roll of Very High difficulty.

Pyra's words are strong and they've given hope, but after four days of brutal cold, they can only go so far. The Torchbearer lives up to her name though, offering up her altmode to those in need, providing succor...Starlock's composure overcomes the innate dread of the situation. Parts need removed, hoses need replaced.

If one were to focus enough, even the cold drifts away...until her digits start freezing at least. Dust Devil throws everything he has at the forcefield. Every moment that he pumps energy into his field, is another moment he buys Backblast, and yet he's faltering. Turbines were freezing. The hot energon had stopped coming. It was all fading away....

Jetfire's systems were not made for this weather, and still he's adjusting temperature flow, desperate to keep the system running. A frozen furnace tower shudders as ice is shattered from it, and then flames ignite from it again to a hurrah from the city. Blizzard, and Veritas both altmode, the double long trailer opening up as well as Veritas large ship frame. Both of the two will suffer the wrath of the cold, but in doing so, the vulnerable ones are safer....

As Stormwind welds plate after plate in place, it almost seems so futile, but the cracks are so easy to find by the iron-chilling wind that blows through. It just needs to stay together a little longer....

Eventually, enough is enough, and the city cries out to close the gates. Too many lives were at risk. No matter who was left outside, surely they had succumbed too at this point. The greater mass must be preserved. With the groan of ages, the last gate in Simfur swings shut, protesting with each ilm of motion...

But just before they slam together, something emerges from the white-out to pin them open. It's a Khukri, held in a clenched fist, crusted with ice and frost and missing a finger. "Shut that gate..." a gravelly voice snarls. "And I promise it will be the last... fragging thing... you do. And killing you will be the last thing I do because I'm in no fit state to be killing anyone right fragging now!"

Another hand pushes through the gap, forcing the gates open again, enough for Backblast and Snowtread to get through. He looks, to put it bluntly, like shit. He's actually missing an entire foot, using his rifle as a crutch to hold himself up. Frost is coating his form, his radio antennae are all snapped off, and half of his alloygator skin is missing. He's pulling Snowteeth behind him on a makeshift sleigh built out of debris, moving with almost zombie-like determination towards Blizzard's medical trailer, keeping up a near-constant stream of curse-filled grumbling about the trouble with having a conscience.

Just behind Backblast, Gnashteeth returns! Still in predator mode, he drags behind him an emergency medical sled, piled high with half-frozen mechs. He holds the lead to the evacuation sled in his strong teeth, taking one step, and then another, even as his optics begin to ice up and his tiny arms stop working. Blindly, however, he keeps walking, through the gate, and vaguely towards the medical tent.

GAME: Gnashteeth PASSES a COURAGE roll of High difficulty.

END OF TURN FOUR

Furnace - 63

Walls - 89

Citizens 88

Sick - 16"

Blizzard 's scanners sweep around in high activity.

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Blizzard says, "I..."

<<Listen carefully. Throw everything we have left that can burn, onto the furnace>> Blizzard's voice rings through the city. <<Extra energon. engex. Whatever you have. Keep the furnaces going!>>

Blizzard continues, <<The end is approaching. I can see it moving, we just have to deal with one last drop. Stay inside. Energon will be freezing soon.>> When prompted, she reveals the forecast.... <<Negative one hundred and fifty degrees.>>

NOW PLAYING: https://endlessvideo.com/watch?v=TpaFE6_nDJw&start=

Jetfire can feel his systems overheat from all of the work it takes to keep his systems warm. He continues calibrating the furnaces to hopefully make them sustain the brutal elements.

GAME: Jetfire PASSES a TECHNICAL roll of Very High difficulty.

START OF LAST ROUND NEGATIVE ONE HUNDRED FIFTY DEGREES!

Furnace - 13

Walls - 39

Citizens 38

Sick - 46"

Furnaces die off as no fuel left can sustain them. Walls crack and crumble beneath the onslaught of cold. Those left on the streets will surely die....

Stormwind will scurry to help with the furnaces as quickly as she can, trying to find anything she might have she can dump into them to keep them going and get them repowered. Can't let those go offline! She lets herself freeze to do it, but at this point that's what's needed to be done.

GAME: Stormwind PASSES a TECHNICAL roll of Very High difficulty.

Stormwind is overcome by injuries, losing consciousness.

In Space, while it is absolute zero, there is nothing to pull the head away, with insulation and modulation of ones own systems, space is just.. cold but doable. Inside of an atmosphere, however, the blanket of air itself sucks and steals heat away as the energy has a medium to transfer across. Veritas sticks to her goal of offering shelter to those she harbors inside, while burning through her own fuel reserves. She takes care in pulling her own sense of self away from her exterior plating, continuing to burn engines, ramping that up, and performing a little internal bypass to access her own weapons cores for additional fuel.

Those inside of the tetra-transport.. it isn't warm, but it isn't cold. As the temperature plummets, Veritas pushes systems again to force heat out from her engines, blue glow spreading. , engines brightening, burning against the cold itself.

There are so many down and sick. She goes to close her optics, "I'm going out. The furnace needs to be kept going." She would go to give a salute, "Primus be with you all. May you fly in his treads and go across the universe." Pyra Magma is going to brace herself.. Then she's going out and over into the wind. Her body is insulated for rescue work. She goes to disengage all secondary systems, going to pump energon over into her fuel pump. She's moving to go over towards the furnace. Freezing step by freezing step. Axel caught to the ground, frozen. She tries to step. She can't.

She takes out her flamethrower, blasting over on it and melting it. She goes to take another step. Moving forwards. Going too slowly, her optics starting to crack. Her anti-freeze systems blaring out warnings as she would shriek. She's heading towards them now.

Her systems are threatening to seize up, but she keeps going. The sparks of the many.. Are more important than but one mere one. She goes to transform and blasts her way on in her fire truck mode, flashing systems overrides to go out at high speed, heading towards the furnace. From there she goes to take out her own energon core as she nears it, moving to just slam it up and over. Pouring her own fuel over in to it as best she can. Flaring out and giving all that she has in her.

~Till the day.. When all..~ Her body is freezing as she pours out energon into it. Life giving sustenance. Their lives are more important than her own. She is charged with saving as many as possible. Her core threatens as her insulated frame can only take so much.

GAME: Pyra Magna FAILS an ENDURANCE roll of Very High difficulty.

GAME: Veritas Prime PASSES an ENDURANCE roll of Very High difficulty.

Dust Devil was being dragged against his will from the gates when Backblast appears as does Gnashteeth. He looks completely relieved as the blade stops the gates from closing. The smile brightens for a moment, "He made it...." Optics flicker before Dust Devil just drops.

Backblast growls "Follow my voice, Gnashteeth, we're nearly... fracking... there." Backblast growls, grumbling and complaining a bit louder for Gnashteeth to follow as he enters the medical trailer and moves straight to his stove, which someone has thankfully kept warm and full to help the patients. He's so cold he actually chills the room around him, just the *faintest* tremor of a shiver visible in his movements as he slowly and methodically makes himself a cube of tea. "See to Snowtread... Gnashteeth is right behind me with more survivors. I can... look after m'self."

He sits down on a medical bed and methodically wraps himself up, hooking himself into the heating system. Water begins to drip off him, along with butane and all the other things that are normally gasses even well below freezing. Even energon joins the puddle around his feet. Once sensation has returned to most of his remaining limbs, he looks around.

"Bugger this." He mutters, plugging himself into the heating system directly with a long hose, and moving to help those injured around him. His bedside manner is even more atrocious than usual, using large doses of foul language, and carefully-measured doses of blunt force to anaesthetise the patient when that fails, if they start to resist or complain. He just KNOWS Starlock is going to chew him out for that one later, but right now he gives even fewer frags than normal. Not only is the field in which they are grown barren, but it's frozen over as well.

GAME: Backblast FAILS a TECHNICAL roll of Very High difficulty.

Gnashteeth drops off the sled with medical, telling his people, "FastSlash no longer hunts for Simfur; his spark has left to light the night and his frame he offers to fuel the fires so that others may live."

Gnashteeth leaves the living behind with Blizzard and Starlock and carries FastSlash in his mouth to the furnace, ready to use him for fuel. He drops the dead Simfurrian in the furnace, and once again opens his maw wide, trying to restart the fire with his own plasma breath, joining his flame to those other Autobots risking their lives to help.

GAME: Gnashteeth PASSES a FIREPOWER roll of High difficulty.

Starlock sneers at the cold, trying to kick her sterilization mechanics back on to warm her hands, but she knows she's stressing it, even for a space-medic.. her finials perk up as she hears Backblast cursing, which takes a metaphorical anvil off her shoulders, with now a spring in her step, she moves to tend to those three, given, likely, their in the worse state at the moment, as well as Dust Devil.

Starlock's silent as she works, a clear sign she's forcing to keep herself together. "Idiots.." she'd murmur, not in a angry way, but more, she's proud of them, but god damnit your making my job harder, kind of way... Speaking of, she walks over at Backblast silently, like a disappointed parent /makes/ him lie down, and gives him a dosage of energon from her spare energon-tank.. which is also laced with tranquillizer from one of her gun darts. "You did good, now rest." She says softly.

"<< IF you can make it back in V, can you grab Stormwind? >>" Starlock asks Veritas, praying she's still awake.

GAME: Starlock PASSES a TECHNICAL roll of Very High difficulty.

Stormwind takes to the bitter, bitter cold, desperate to save lives. The furnace has to be restarted, the lines have to flow. With every passing moment, the remaining heat fails....Her body refusing to cooperate, Stormwind starts clearing an energon line, freeing the system up....Veritas Prime keeps herself focused on saving the wounded, a magnitude of heat emanates from about her, the living ship crammed up against the wall, blocking the wind, as well as providing care.

The cold starts to challenge even the new prime, The windshield cracks, and turbines start to sputter...Pyra Magna steps out from the shelter, her flamethrower sputters and dies almost instantly. All of her firepower, seems to go with it, she desperately ignites the energon from her own frame in hopes of restarting the furnace system....Backblast tries to focus on the medicine, but his frame is damaged, heavily so by the storm, and his joints just refuse to cooperate.

Its a grisly move, but one that Simfur understands when the dead are used as fuel. Their energon helps bring them alight as Gnashteeth incinerates. For those that remain indoors, it is just misery that is left for now, and the desperate hope that those outside help the city survive...

Blizzard silently keeps watch with her own trailer of the freezing....

Backblast blinks and looks at Starlock. "Did you just fragging tranq me...?" He demands, his tone more surpriseed than offended, his voice starting to slur as it kicks in, causing him to keel over backwards surprisingly gently and gracefully.

"Damn Right I did." Starlock says with all the audacity and confidence in the world, placing her hands on her hip platting.

Once Backblast is out, she gets to work on everyone else..

END OF FINAL ROUND AFTER DAMAGES

Tempature - -150

Furnace - 26

Walls - 29

Citizens 36

Sick - 36

.......

DEAD 12

And just like that the wind dies down, and the bleary crystal rays of sunlight are shown on the south pole for the first time in a week....

The furnace had come on in the middle of the night, and the frozen, but living forms of Stormwind and Pyra Magna cling in wretched misery near their positions.

The form of Veritas Prime, suffering the brunt of weather and the responsibility of life is damaged, of course, but the extra generated heat managed to take the worst edge off of the ship occupants and the longhouse nearby, with its inhabitants grateful.

Her systems eventually kick back in. Sometime after the worst of the blizzard goes over and an emergency restart goes through her. She's nearly a corpse on her feet and she might have been salvaged for parts if things had kept going on at this level. She can only wheeze and count the cost that was paid to the toll.

She goes to look at her flamethrower. Her frame that has chunks of it simply breaking off and falling to the ground that had been frozen in place. As things heat up they fall off and crack like brittle glass. Hitting the ground and shattering. She lives. Enough to stand and even to move.

Barely conscious, her optics still rebooting, she goes to simply head to the next pile of supplies. . And goes to work slowly, moving to setup a prefabricated housing unit as if running fully autonomously.

It is a sad day though, as a few unfortunates do not rise with the others. Twelve sparks will be laid to rest in Simfur, but it could have been so much worse

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Blizzard says, "It..is over."

Dust Devil is mostly suffering from energon depletion, which is what KO'd him. But extreme heat fused his rotors, while the cold had damaged his extremities. Forcefield systems are also fried. But hey, the scraplet is resilient. Once he's a bit warmer and energon is in his systems, he shows some more life signs.

Once its clear, Starlock goes out, and drags Pyra and Stormwind in to get them also stable, as well as doing what she can for Veritas. "Frag sake." she sighs out in exhaustion.

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "Can I get some spare medics down here, now that it has passed? There's still a lot of injured.."

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Blizzard says, "If you mean a death count, there's still searching that needs done...but the furnace was brought online last night"

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Blizzard says, "I could not assist with the gravely injured in my care"

Veritas Prime's re-entry plating, designed to withstand the pressure and the inferno of friction, fractures, shattering and sloughing off in great chunks like icebergs calving off of a glacier. Still she burns those engines, focused inwards, doggedly determined. cold seeping into her frame, leeching warmth. Thusly exposing another layer of plating, combat oriented, tempered against micro-debris, cutting, explosives, all manner and sundry of combat, develops scattered fractures as well, the ceramide-metal spalling off in chunks, exposing delicate sensory webs which freeze upon exposure.

Those engines continue to burn, burn burn through her tanks, eating into weapons core output, drawing upon a spark-deep stubbornness. The plasteel of her cockpit succumbs, exploding outwards as the temperature weakens the material and the difference causes a depressurization. Still she pushes engines to burn, a sullen dimness, compressing her world to two things: keep burning, keep her precious 'cargo' alive. As the wind dies down.. the chill departing, she sends out a simplistic ping-scan through damaged exterior systems.

A 'Hello, World'. And inside, she counts and checks those she has harbored. Then, softly, she voices internally and externally, "The sun.. has returned.."

<<Autobot>> Pyra Magna says, "if I had done more, fewer sparks would have been lost. Each is a tragedy that went before their time. They go into Primus' embrace and the Allspark."

Backblast wakes up as the tranq wears off. "Starlock? Don't *ever* fragging tranq me again." A pause. "Unless I'm acting like a complete frag-head like that." He stands up and limps over to the tea, pouring himself another cube and taking a sip. He steps out to look at the day, to stare at the sun and revel in the warmth, then glaring out into the snow, daring it to challenge him again. He looks around spotting Veritas. "Starlock." He says, pointing with his middle finger because his index finger is missing. "I think she could do with the same favour you did fer me. D'you want to do the honours, or should I?"

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Blizzard says, "I do not know if there is more any of us could have done"

<<Autobot>> Veritas Prime says, "... I need.. a drink..."

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Blizzard says, "The fact that as many survived as they had is surely as close to a miracle of the guiding hand as we could ever muster."

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "I've not had a recharge in a week, and I'm about to start throwing things.,, /same/"

<<Autobot>> Pyra Magna says, "They will be mourned and remembered. If only their passing had not been in such a state of pain."

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast crackles in on short-range. Due to having barely any antennae left, he sounds like he's at extreme range, with heavy interference. "Pyra. You need medical attention. You've done enough."

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Blizzard says, "So do you, Backblast"

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "You c'n rest now."

<<Autobot>> Pyra Magna says, "There is no medical attention to SPARE here."

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "It's over. We can spare enough for you."

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "Don't make us tranq you."

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Blizzard says, "I'll stay here for another week. Valvolux will want to transport the wounded."

<<Autobot>> Pyra Magna says, "I will solder on until relieved of duty and others have been treated first."

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "Don't. Make. Us. Tranq. You."

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "You are relieved. Doctor's orders."

Gnashteeth continues to shovel the dead into the furnace, using them to replace fuel lost during the storm. Once they are gone and the furnace is once again burning well on its own, Gnashteeth approaches the other Autobots and Valvoluxians. "Don't usually like allowing strangers in here," he admits. "But I honestly appreciate your help. Thank you." Transforming, the normally grumpy leader offers a tiny hand up towards Pyra.

Gnashteeth tilts his head down and raises up, unfolding and twisting into robot mode.

<<Autobot>> Pyra Magna says, "You are not assigned to medical staff or duties, nor department. Request denied until sufficient relief is present."

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "Don't make me, i'll do it"

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Blizzard says, "Everyone, we just survived a horrendous event"

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "I've done it to BB and Quickswitch, don't test me"

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Blizzard says, "We cannot fight each other to show that we care."

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "I'm not, no, that's a fair point. But she is."

<<Autobot>> Veritas Prime says, "You -will- be tended to Pyra Magna! So you can in turn help others faster. Get off the altar and get repairs so you can serve Primas in your best capacity and capability. Don't let pride or shame prevent you from doing what is -right-. Pushing yourself to collapse is -easy-."

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "...I'll sasy it, you can't help anyone if ya' dead"

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Blizzard says, "All of us here proved what we'll do to save a fading life, we're all willing to risk it all. Backblast and Gnashteeth especially"

GAME: Pyra Magna PASSES a COURAGE roll of Extreme difficulty.

<<Autobot>> Pyra Magna says, "... Very well. but only if there are others that do not need it in a more pressing way and it is minimally disruptive."

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "I'm in no state to go anywhere."

<<Autobot>> Veritas Prime says, "Thank you. I.. should probably get off your comms now."

Starlock looks at Backblast, thinks about that a moment. "No." She says simply with a pleasant smile, she was going to say no promises, but, nah, she just straight up says it, if she needs to do it again. /She will./

"Welcome." She smiles tiredly. "Worth the weeks worth of lost recharge." Starlock chuckles and looks at Pyra, and puffs a cheek as well as Veritas... They'll all hear the click of Starlock's tranq gun.

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "ya fine V"

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "anything its nice to talk to ya"

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "...bollocks. I'm gonna need a new gator skin."

<<Autobot>> Veritas Prime says, "I'm.. going to have to explain this to Sounwave. He frets."

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "I think he'll be okay and understanding in this matter"

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "Oh yeah. But he's still gonna fret."

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "Gonna need to do an episode on this place... not the city, unless they're cool with it, but the ice here. It's a beautiful place. Deadly, but beautiful."

The Rollout Bar - Toraxxis - Cybertron

	The Rollout Bar's interior is designed to accommodate the widely varying scales of the universe. On the bar itself there's a section designed for humans, Junkions and those of similar scale, with their own bar which can be served either by the main bartender or a bartender of their own scale, should one be on duty. A spiral staircase grants access to the bar's surface for those who are small enough to use the secondary bar, with barriers high enough for most transformers high enough to notice protect those making their way from the doors to the bar itself. There are a series of bar stools of various sizes along the bar, allowing most Transformers to be able to sit comfortably at the bar.

	Next to the bar, there are two doors marked "GAMES ROOMS". They are roped off, and from the other side, the sounds of building work can be heard. Warning signs mark them as "UNDER CONSTRUCTION"

	Beside the doors sits a large stage, protected by energy fences should it be required. A fairly decent stack of amplifiers and speakers allows music of almost any kind to be performed there, by any species - space for a five-piece band of Transformers, or an entire orchestra of human-sized beings. There is a dance floor in front of the stage and surrounding that one will find a series of octagonal tables with adjustable seats around them. Each table has a spiral staircase for those of human-ish scale to access the table top, where there are seats available.

	The wall opposite the bar is lined with booths that allow four large Transformers to sit comfortably in relative privacy - and again, there is access to the table-tops for those of human scale. Each booth has its own window out of the bar, which can be closed with a curtain should it be required. They can also be enclosed within top-of-the-line privacy fields - Encore is trying to build a reputation at the Rollout Bar for absolute discretion and neutrality.

	One wall is entirely taken up by a changing holographic vista, showing beautiful places from around the galaxy. The other wall is labeled "THE NEWS WALL", and is a huge bank of screens showing news broadcasts from across the galaxy, including Autobot News, Free Cybertron Press, and the Decepticon Propaganda Network, among countless others.

	Encore himself usually tends the bar here. A sign behind the bar reads 'BARTENDERS WANTED: APPLY TO ENCORE'

Veritas Prime is.. seated. She's looked better. But it was only a few cycles ago that they got out of Simfur. Thanks to Starlock and Backblast looking out for her, she's not as bad off as she was. But she's still splotchy and sporting slow to resolve weld lines, Wings are tickly folded, several strapped together to support the slow re-intigration of new sensory webbing. Where the new armor and re-entry plating was replaced, it's a dull grey hue, where the original plating remains, the opalescent white is also dimmed as systems work to integrate and repair. Still, she insisted on taking a shift at least to cover her fuel costs. And now.

Veritas's sitting at a table, a Raven on her shoulder, hands wrapped around a warmed ener-tea, unfocused and scattered.

Ultra Magnus

Ultra Magnus heads into the Rollout, looking through a datapad. He moves to sit by himself, looking over recent reports.

<<Autobot>> City Commander Ultra Magnus says, "can anyone tell me what I missed?"

<<Autobot>> Veritas Prime says, "Froze my shebs off."

<<Autobot>> Veritas Prime says, "Oops.. UH.. Is this supposed to still be -on-?"

Dust Devil has found a nice quiet DARK corner to hide. His head is firmly planted between folded arms with his face hiding in the middle. "Someone shoot me....oww...."

<<Autobot>> Dust Devil says, "WE went sleddin in a winter wonderland....and then the Krampus came."

<<Autobot>> City Commander Ultra Magnus says, "Its unorthodox but under the circumstances, it is fine."

Starlock is say at a booth, mostly because she feels more comftretrble in a cushioned area right now instead of the bar. Why? She's still not rested fully and only gotten in small naps between working on everyone, and the week of no sleep she had. She sips on a hot tea with a sketch book on the table, letting her crystal necklace hang losely.

Hot Rod is heading in to the Rollout after his own patrol. A very, very long patrol that had been intended for him to figure out some issues on his own end. That had not helped upon seeing hte others present. "You look like the Pit was taken to Absolute Zero and you didn't have any say in the matter."

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "Slag sucked"

<<Autobot>> Veritas Prime says, "All I got is, weather front went nasty at the south pole and Simfur needed help. Took a week. Folks died. not as many died than if nobody went to help."

Backblast is also looking better than he was... but it's not like they had the resources to build him an entirely new foot, so he's making do with a peg for now. His GPMG is missing, along with half his alloygator and a lot of his plating. He's sat at the same table with a cube of hot ener-tea himself. He takes a sip, and frowns "Nah." He says, standing up and limping behind the bar.

He browses the spirits, selects one, and thumps back, pouring a generous measure into both cubes. He pauses, brews another cube for Dusty, giving him a smaller measure too. "This'll take the edge off." he says, returning to his seat. "Did you know." He states to Hot rod. "That the energon in your conduits freezes at negative one hundred and -fracking- seventy? It is not a fun sensation." He waves to Hot Rod. The hand is missing the index finger.

He takes a sip of his cube.

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "It was <donkey bray>ing nasty. There are times I regret having a conscience."

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "But... folks needed help. They got it. It went badly. It could have gone a lot <chicken cluck>ing worse."

<<Autobot>> Veritas Prime giggle-snorts. So taht's what that sounds like...

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "I think he's keeping it at this point cause its funny."

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "It's more entertaining than a beep."

<<Autobot>> City Commander Ultra Magnus says, "Glad we could help who we could. I will expect a full report."

<<Autobot>> Veritas Prime says, "Good. Reports help inc ase of a repeat event."

<<Autobot>> City Commander Ultra Magnus says, "Exactly."

<<Autobot>> Sideswipe says, "For the Weatherbots.. I haven't been on Cybertron in fifty thousand vorn but I'm pretty sure we never used to have weather like that."

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Typhoon says, "Must be the influence of the new sun. Bringing additional supplies while you guys recover."

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "We haven't had weather full stop in a bloody long time. Instability is to be expected as systems return."

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "Yeah, like a new planet slowing it spin, we're bound to have some NASTY weather for a couple years"

<<Autobot>> Sideswipe says, "I don't pretend to be Glyph but I think the planet's never had this sort of weather."

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "It's never had its entire ecosystem kick back into life from near-extinction either."

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "I bet this year's Great Altihex Storm is gonna be a stomper"

Starlock can't help but chuckle and look over to the two. "Did good.. I'll have that pede for you finished soon BB, been working on it as i've been working on parts for Imager's frame." she says tiredly.

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Typhoon says, "Right. I detected a lot of upper Stratosphere activity above Eastern Hemisphere before Cybertron moved into orbit, but it's certainly more planet-wide now."

Hot Rod would listen to the channel chatter going back and forth, "Well, never let it be said that we do not exist in interesting functions. It's been a pretty different last half a vorn.."

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "...acttualy, dumb question, I know we have a pretty thin atmosphere, so.. I'm kinda wondering, what was the last time it was messured? Ya weather bots know?"

<<Autobot>> Veritas Prime says, "Storms running late isn't it?"

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "Nah, any time between late May to early July. It's variable, but building."

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "Just a matter of waiting for the cascade to begin."

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Typhoon says, "I've been tracking personally since 2011, but I know there were records before then. There were reports of ionic acid rain by visitors in the 80s, and sporatic records worldwide."

The door slams open and a tiny stego scampers through it! Pelting little feets, he builds up a big enough head of steam to leap onto a bar stool and pull himself up by kicking lil feets!

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "Just kinda wondering if its thickening"

<<Autobot>> City Commander Ultra Magnus says, "Im also wondering why."

<<Autobot>> Hot Rod says, "The acid rain wasn't natural."

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "given all the new cyber-flora."

Veritas Prime tilts her head, watching backblast then staring at the adulterated cube now in front of her. There's a twitch of finials, "Why th' frag not." and she lets mer mask fold away so she can drink. "Lookin good there, Backblast. Going pirate now?" tone gently teasing.

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Typhoon says, "Apparently Polyhex kept the best records, but I'm not sure they survived its double reformatting."

<<Autobot>> Para-Droppable PITA Backblast says, "Probably a little. If not, the heat being put in by the sun is kicking the weather back into life."

<<Autobot>> Veritas Prime says, "er.. I might have a lead into some of those old archives, Typhoon."

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Typhoon says, "O RLY?!! I'd love access to them! *barely contained squee*"

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "Ahahah Now you've got her favour."

<<Autobot>> Veritas Prime says, "Look from one data-nut to another, records are important. I've got.. a lot of archives."

<<Autobot>> Weatherbot Typhoon says, "That would really help me answer some of these questions about what's causing the climate-wide shifts in Cybertronian weather."

<<Autobot>> Veritas Prime says, "Well. Considering how long we were in the shutdown, that's got to be a factor. A major one. things are spinnin' back to life after being.. well. pretty damned dead for so many millions of years."

Starlock snorts out a chuckle at the mention of being a pirate. "hey Sluggy." Starlock says to Slugfest once he comes in and rests there on the table, she looks tired, more so then normal, ragged really.. She startles as she see's Magnus. "...When did you get here?" She asks with a pointed finger and a squint...She clearly didn't see him come in.

Hot Rod would take a moment to give a slow nod at Veritas cautiously, and then move to go to take a seat at a bit of a distant table, a look of thoughtfulness over on his faceplate but unrelated ot other events.

Dust Devil slides the cube over to him and pulls out a straw from his arm compartment. Well at least tries to. Yep all the fingers are there but they still like to lock up intermittantly. "Slaggin hell..." He finally puts the straw into the cube and takes a sip before hiding his optics again.

Ultra Magnus tilts his head. "I came in just before you guys." He says, looking over his datapad. "Don't let me interrupt you. Please, continue."

Slugfest has scrambled from the seat to putting his front paws on the table, blinking at Starlock. "Need energons!" he clamors.

Veritas Prime twitches finials, then crinkles her faceplate. her visor brightens and she snakes a cable ot of her forarm, then plunks the end of it into the cube.. And.. yes.. yes that is.. oh.. that's a -sluurrrrrrrp- as she smiles. Now she can refuel and talk.. "Hey, Magnus.. Come have a seat. Say hello, socialize. Get folks stories so you got things to compare to the reports whenever those go in." Ultra Magnus moves over towards the others. "Alright." He says with a half..smile. "You must be Veritas Prime. Glad to meet you." he says, stiff and formal as always.

GAME: Veritas Prime PASSES a LEADERSHIP roll of Very High difficulty.

Starlock reaches over to her datapad and doodles something. "You can tell i'm tired." She'd laugh weakly before she notes Slugfest, and huffs tiredly with a smile, she gets up and gives him some help in ordering, before going back to her seat with a 'oof'.

"Ratchet's gonna looove this report, I can tell, I can just feel his pump pressure rasing." She'd laugh... Before she holds up her datapad with a smug grin, on it, is a doodle of a chibi-Backblast with a peg-leg, eyepatch, and pirate hat.

Backblast raises his cube in a toast to Magnus. "Join us." He says, sipping his cube of dosed ener-tea. "Frack that hits the spot." He murmurs. "That was a vicious, vicious storm." He hasn't actually told anyone how he lost his foot yet.

He snorts at the picture Starlock's doodling. "In other news, Snowtread's gonna make it. I told him he bloody well better after I dragged his arse all the way back through energon-freezing temperatures." he thinks a moment. "I think that was just before you tranqed me, Starlock."

Dust Devil sips his drink again before burying his face once more. He mumbles from his dark spot, "Thank you Starlock....." He's probably already said it a number of times already but once more is probably not a bad idea when one woke up going dark in that nightmare. Veritas Prime considers, watching Magnus in a fuzzy sort of 'my senses all hurt still' way.

She stands slowly, turning to sketch a polite bow to Ultra Magnus, then straightens, "Su cuy'gar, jate ge'catra." Tiny flick of a smile, "Hello and good evening. Be welcome to the table I share, and what fuel I can provide you, Ultra Magnus. And yes, I'm Veritas." She pauses, "Yes I suppose I am." And slides back into her seat with a soft -oof-. "When these welds absorb, I'm finding a hot pool to lay in.. For a few days."

<irc.dal.net> <<Whirlwind>> https://youtu.be/iWlLk8hMFhs

<irc.dal.net> <Dr. Asshole, MD> Don't push it.

<irc.dal.net> <<Whirlwind>> <<chortle>>please don't kill me. <<snerk>> ow my head hurts.

Starlock reaches over to her datapad and doodles something. "You can tell i'm tired." She'd laugh weakly before she notes Slugfest, and huffs tiredly with a smile, she gets up and gives him some help in ordering, before going back to her seat with a 'oof'.

"Ratchet's gonna looove this report, I can tell, I can just feel his pump pressure rasing." She'd laugh... Before she holds up her datapad with a smug grin, on it, is a doodle of a chibi-Backblast with a peg-leg, eyepatch, and pirate hat.

Starlock chuckles weakly. "Good, and Yeah, I knew you'd keep going if I didn't, so, figured better to knock ya' on ya aft to rest while I patched you and everyone up." She'd huff and looks at Dust Devil, patting him on the back lightly, before idly working on his hand to help un-seize it.

"I give ya'll slag, but know I'm not gonna let ya'll die.. Actually do /care/ about some ya'll dumbafts.." She admits, glancing over to Backblast. "And you, fragger, almost made me cry, don't do it again!" She pouts.

Pulver comes on shift, grunting at the number of customers on an Alchecycle night. She immediately goes around refilling everyone's drinks, setting out a bowl just for Slugfest. "Anyone need anything else?" she asks, looking over the motley assortment assembled in the bar tonight.

Assessing the number of pained expressions, Pulver wirelessly lowers the background music in the bar.

Dust Devil winces as his hand is worked on but slowly begins to relax as her touch definately helps. He takes another sip of his, finishing it off before hiding his optics again. THough this time....there's a slight rattle of his vents as he falls into recharge, and just relaxes.

Backblast shrugs a bit, looking a little embarrassed. "No promises. The problem with having a conscience is it drives you to do things. When you said to go get survivors... I thought 'she's right, if anyone can help it's me'. So..." He shrugs. "What else could I do."

Ultra Magnus nods "I suppose so. Um. Pleasure to meet you." He says, tensing a bit as he attempts to socialize, the datapad never leaving his hand.

Starlock gives Pulver a thumbs up in thanks. "Rough week in a nasty snow storm." She says simply to the bar-tender. She'd finish her idle-tending/grooming of Dust Devil's hand and huffs. "Yep, he's exhausted." She'd smile lightly with knitted rides, as she gave his helm a light pat.

"I know, I have confidence in ya.. just when your comms cut out, and I lost signal of ya' beacon, /That/ is what freaked me out." She'd pause in thought. "Didn't think you where dead though.. but I knew better then to run out there and leave everyone." She'd can't help but snicker at Magnus, ah, someone worse at socilizing then her!

<irc.dal.net> <Prometheus> oh dear.

<irc.dal.net> <Voidwalker> hm?

Backblast shrugs again. "It's not like I switched it off by choice." He says. "There was so much EM interference that I couldn't get through. Then there was the massive snowdrift that collapsed on me and snapped my antennae... and then the crevasse..."

<irc.dal.net> <Prometheus> not sure why its setting off Dra but it is :)

<irc.dal.net> <Dr. Asshole, MD> What setting off who?

"I think not being able to get out to ya was what it was." Starlock says in idle thought and looks over. "Never did explain what happened out there." She'd pause. "Mind, tell when ya ready, imagine that's all still kinda.. " She'd cringe. "Traumatic." She'd nod.

"Glad you're okay." she'd smile, and glanced to Veritas. "Thank you for helping too, sorry about the tranqs also." She'd smile awkwardly.

<irc.dal.net> <Voidwalker> the song

<irc.dal.net> <Voidwalker> he's talking about Whirl poking at ya foot

<irc.dal.net> <Voidwalker> sorry there Pro, we uh.. we're still a bit numb form a 4 day snowstorm form hell

Veritas Prime erms.. and picks her cube up and sips it like a normal being. "Yes." visor dimming as she listens to Backblast and Starlock. There's a twitch of her splinted wing panels before, "They did real well down there. In Simfur, you know. Report or not. The locals aren't.. easy to work with on the best of days, very isolationist." Another sip, "Backblast went back out into the storm to get the last group in. Starlock did a lot of medical witchery. Dust Devil ran turbines till he all but froze up. Good crew, good team working together even though I know they snip at one another, get exasperated. Sometimes throw things..." she shrugs, talking quietly to Ultra Magnus. A head tilt at Starlock, "You tranq'd me?" she asks, bewildered a moment, "I thought I just passed out. I was -tired-. And.. really, running fissionables through an ftl drive bypass just for heat generation sortof clogged my upper memory range with the on the fly calculations going on constantly."

<irc.dal.net> <Prometheus> four day snowstorm...

<irc.dal.net> <Maat> 5? It was -cold-. I'm /still/ cold.

"Honey, you where looking like a zombie, literally, between you, Pyra, and Backblast, ya'll would of kept going if I didn't, be it of spite and sheer force of well, amicable, but oh my god, ya'll we're gonna give me a spark spasm with how you'd keep going despite being half-dead." She'd laugh.

<irc.dal.net> <Voidwalker> lets just say iy was a week

Backblast looks at Starlock. "I was being an arse. It's fine." He chuckles, then sips his drink. "Largely, lots of walking. After I lost contact, I kept going. Bout eight hours in, I found a huge snowdrift, mostly toluene snow with a water layer at the bottom. The water ice layer gave way and dumped the lot on me, had to dig myself out and that's when I caught the frostbite that cost the foot. Wrapped it up, kept going... fell into a crevasse, broke the foot even more. Came across Snowtread and his group, lost and huddling down. They helped me get rid of the foot... it was dead by then anyway. They had no fire... but I knew where I was gong so I led them back... met Gnashy half-way back with some energon. Three quarters of the group woudn't have made it back without that. Snowtread certainly wouldn't." He says. "But like bollocks was I going to let the cold beat me. No matter how hard it tried... came close, not gonna lie, but I'm too fragging stubborn."

<irc.dal.net> <Prometheus> Glad everyone got out of it. I know those can be rough. Never been in one that big before myself. Maybe I should challenge one. Haah.

<irc.dal.net> <Dr. Asshole, MD> Take it from an expert

<irc.dal.net> <Dr. Asshole, MD> Don't be so fracking stupid.

<irc.dal.net> <Maat> be a kaiju-cicle ad no amount of licking'd warm you abck up ever.

<irc.dal.net> <Dr. Asshole, MD> This is not something you mess about with, Prom. It's not like the storm that you can dance with. Storms down there are serious business. Take it from an expert.

<irc.dal.net> <Dr. Asshole, MD> I lost a foot, several fingers, and half my plating.

<irc.dal.net> <Maat> Re-entry plating, primary battle plating, left side sensory web, cockpit viewport and interior, wing fractures. And I'm -still- cold.

<irc.dal.net> <Dr. Asshole, MD> Yup.

<irc.dal.net> <Dr. Asshole, MD> We were well below the temperature -energon freezes at-

<irc.dal.net> <Voidwalker> 12 patients, a week of sleep, think i need to have someone check my sterilization heating... Yeah it got to -150F

Starlock nods. "Glad you made it back." She says and smiles softly, leaning back.

She'd close her optics. "You lot are good people, and very self sacrificing despite the rougher edges, and I know damn well I'd do the same, and BB would very likely tranq me too, so, consider it a badge of honor." She'd chuckle warmly.

<irc.dal.net> <Maat> Th' colds different in atmo verses space. In space, there's pretty much nothing to pass the heat off to, you bleed it out but interna insulation handles that just fine. In at mo.. oof. I..

Veritas Prime stares off, "Imma.. go to.. somewhere.. warm.. sleep. Yes." she slides to her feet, mask moving back into place. "Yes.. I'm.. I need t' sleep before the ang4ry bird bites me.. again." She totters out of the Rollout.

Backblast chuckles and waves "Yep." he says. "I think that might be a good plan. Might head back to the refinery, sleep next to the hot vats."

Starlock hehs. "Thats.. an idea.. heated blankets, thats what I need to start carrying." She'd chuckle and look at the sleeping Dust Devil. "Should get him back to." She'd huff.

Veritas Prime mutters, "Pious pools would really be nice to nap in right about now. So warm.."

Backblast looks thoughtful. "Could smuggle you in."

Ultra Magnus looks concerned "If all of you are tired, you should rest. It sounds like you've been through a lot today."

Veritas Prime pauses, looking at backblast, "I.. er.. I don't have a smuggable form anymore."

Backblast laughs "Past week." he smirks, leaning in close to whisper

Veritas Prime mutters to Backblast, "... but nooo.... Iacon.... with... day"

<irc.dal.net> <Voidwalker> the snow was also higher then me

<irc.dal.net> <Voidwalker> ...that came out wrong, i'm tired.

Backblast nods and gives a thumbs-up

Starlock would push herself up and move over to hug Backblast, before sighing. "Alright, so.. who should write the report, you or me?" She asks tiredly.

Backblast looks to Starlock, then holds up hands missing fingers. "I think that counts as a decent excuse?"

"...We have video logs." Starlock teases.

Backblast chuckles "Fair point. Maybe in the morning."

Sounds like a plan, i'll submit one, and you can too, that way we can get all the information." Starlock would smile. "I have a tendency to ensure everyone else's work gets recognized over my own, feels weird to give myself credit in my own report." She'd smile.

Backblast nods "Fair, fair. I'll see what I can do." Backblast heads to the cellar and drops into it.

Ultra Magnus nods "Still, if you need rest you should. I'm going to go try to analyze incoming reports." he says. "There has to be a reason for this extreme weather change."

Dust Devil raises his head and glances around with some confusion before letting it flop back down. "ow....."

<<Autobot>> Dust Devil says, "Can we not do that again fer a while."

<<Autobot>> Starlock says, "Agreed"

Ultra Magnus looks to Dust Devil "You need to go rest. Most of the others have as well."

A bowl of energon is finally brought to the tiny stego, who slurps it up instantly, tail wagging happily. Dust Devil looks up at Ultra Magnus, "It Hurts ta move, hurts ta look and yeah...this just sucks. I was so sure that Backblast.....when they started shutting that gate..."

Ultra Magnus nods "We should get you back to medical, and get you checked out. Do you need a ride or can you make it?"

Dust Devil says, "Need a rebuild of my rotor system, forcefield system and stuff. I'm up and about cause It's gonna take a few days ta recraft some of the parts I need. I can see if Fort Max is closer or Iacon....either way, I work here, Encore won't care if I flop here fer now either.""

Starlock smiles. "I'd not mind a ride.. and you did good DD.. did good, he made it back, i knew he would, bastard is hard to kill."

================================== Autobot ===================================
Message: 4/77                      Posted        Author
AAR: Simfur Storm                  Tue Jun 21    Starlock
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                      After Action Report: Simfur Storm.                      
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To: Reports                                                 | =\ \V/ /= | 
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Security Level: General                                      |\__| |__/| 
                                                             | |||_||| |  
Subject: Reports                                             | || _ || | 
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   ======================================================================    
 
 	 >>Starlock appears on screen, looking /extremely/ exhausted, but here she is writing and recording a report.<< 
 
 Medical Officer, Sargent Starlock reporting in, in regards to the storm that was detected over Simfur... After a hellish 5-day snow storm, where the temperatures dropped to -150 degrees Fahrenheit, or -101.11 Celsius, plus wind-sheer, it got to the point Energon would start freezing in our veins... 
 
 Pyra Magna, Veritas, and Jetfire kept the furnaces going despite the dangerous conditions outside, while Blizzard kept us to date on the storm, Stormwind and Sludge kept the walls repaired.. Veritas also kept the area warm and helped in providing shelter and heat with her alt-mode. 
 
 Backblast, on the first day, ventured out to find those that had not returned, but by late morning the storm violently intensified and we lost contact with him.. Gnashteeth later went out after him, and we did not hear from them for 4 days, Dust Devil stayed out and kept his forcefield and turbines up to keep the gate open but wind blocked, waiting for them. 
 
 By the second daya nasty crack formed in the wall and caused the collapse of a long house, we all slowly, transferred over to Veritas, whom was helping keep heat in with the use of her engine bypass, while I worked to keep whom I could stable and online. We did eventually run out of warm energon, and I'm sad to say, we lost 12 of those in Simfur, but all things considered, it could of been much worse.. 
 
 By the end of day 4, Dust Devil's fans and forcefield gave out, and will need to be replaced, he also passed out, but by then, Backblast and Gnashteeth returned with the last of the lost hunting packs, Backblast missing a foot and a number of fingers to frostbite, but we where able to get them inside and stabilized.. I had to sedate Backblast, due to his injuries, but still wanting to help whom he could. 
 
 Pyra Magna then braved the late night to go out and restart the furnace with Veritas, Stormwind stayed out keeping the walls stable, two of the three lost conciseness but I was able to get to them and get them inside and stable come morning... I then had to sedate Pyra and Veritas because they where in bad shape, and like BB, where still trying to help despite being half-dead. 
 
 Most have been repaired, and Simfur is grateful for our aid, and despite the damage, and loss of 12... Things could of been so much more worse. 
 
 I-- I also admit, I did not rest during that time, and worked without recharge for that week, to keep all alive, I know its.. ill advised, and bad practice, and I verified Backblast to patch Veritas into the Bot coms, so any violations on that part should be sent my way. 
 
 --Medical Officer, Sargent Starlock.
==============================================================================

Ultra Magnus nods seriously. "Either way you should be careful. You all did an amazing job, considering." he arches a brow as his datapad blinks. "Ah new one. Thank you, Starlock."

Starlock gives a thumbs up